Coinciding Moments
by Redler Red7
Summary: This story follows the daily lives of Konata, Kagami & all the other Lucky Star chars after a mere question starts a series of coincidences to take place. It has romance, drama, friendship, and a whole lot of POVs so you can see everyone's side of the story. [Kagami/Misao][Konata/Tsukasa][Yutaka/Minami]
1. All it took was a day

**So… Lucky star! Yay! First chapter is complete. And to think, this little gem came from inspiration brought by lack of sleep. Anyway, enjoy if you can. If you can't enjoy it, it's probably this story is made by a bad author. Oh well. Hahaha.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own lucky star or any other copyrighted/trademarked material in this fic. All I own is the story itself which is not much, to be honest.**

**Edit: I fixed some typos and grammatical errors**

**Edit 2: ****My writing style has**** improved a lot since these first ****few ****chapter****s****, and reading it again makes me want to go into the past and slap myself. I can't do that, ****though. S****o, I did the next best thing. I rewrote this chapter to be less of a chore to read.****  
****If this is your first time reading this ****chapter**** then I hope you enjoy it. If this isn't your first time and you were turned off by it at first, then I hope this massive edit will help.**

**Lucky Star **

It was a noon on a Monday at Ryoo High. The sun was bright and the sky was just the right amount of cloudy. It would have been the perfect day if it weren't for the fact that it was the first day of school for the week.

As they always did during lunch time, four school girls were chatting lively among themselves. Namely, the blue haired otaku, Konata Izumi, the glasses wearing pinkette, Miyuki Takara, the twin tailed tsundere, Kagami Hiiragi, and her air headed younger twin, Tsukasa.

As the four conversed, Konata segued into a different topic. "Hey, you guys' birthday is coming up soon right?" She asked the twins.

"Yeah, it's next week" Kagami replied.

"Oh dear. I haven't picked out a present yet" Miyuki seemed distressed from the realization. "I should find you a gift soon"

"Don't worry about it Miyuki-san. It's okay if you don't get me a gift" The twin tailed girl said in an attempt to comfort her. "Presents aren't the point of birthdays"

"Well, I'm glad you think that Kagamin. Now I'll only have to give a birthday gift to one of you." Konata said a-matter-of-factly

"What makes you say that?" Kagami asked dryly

"Well, I'm broke." The bluenette said, rather bluntly. "It's close to the point where I can't even buy new games or anime stuff anymore."

"… What?" Kagami seemed put-off at how casually Konata stated that they were having a hard time financially.

"I'll probably only be able to get one present for you two anyway. You don't seem to like any of the presents I give so I guess I just won't give you one. I'll just give one to Tsukasa." Konata explained. "That's reasonable, right?"

"Thanks Kona-chan" Tsukasa said with gratitude. "But I think Kagami likes your presents more. She just doesn't show it."

"Hey, no I don't!" Kagami disagreed, cheeks flushing slightly.

"Hmm… Well, she IS a tsundere…" Konata muttered, ignoring the twin tailed girl's denial.

"Darn it, Konata! I'm not a Tsundere!" She yelled out in frustration. Wish a deep controlled sigh, she calmed herself and looked away, grumbling. "Just give your stupid present to Tsukasa… It's not like any of them are good anyway…"

"Don't worry Kagamin, even though I can't afford much, I'll make sure I get a present that's REALLY good. I promise"

From that statement, Kagami's expression softened a bit. "Hey now… You don't have to push yourself, Konata. It's the thought that counts."

Konata looked at the tsundere with a neutral expression, her head tilted to convey curiosity. "Hey, Kagami…"

"… Yes, Konata...?" Kagami asked cautiously. She didn't like the look on the bluenette's face.

"… would you consider a kiss to be an acceptable present?" The otaku asked, keeping a completely straight face.

"w-wha…" Kagami stood there dumbfounded by the question "you just... and..."

_She's basically asking me for permission to kiss me... But only people who are dating should be doing that. Besides, it would be my first kiss. It would probably be Konata's first kiss too. Would that mean Konata wants to start dating me? If I say yes, would that mean I WANT to date Konata? AM I GOING TO SAY YES? A-and-and-and what happens next? A-after kissing is gonna be…. Th-that... __A__nd if we start doing that… w-we-we'd b-b-be…_

Next thing she knew, Kagami was lying down on a cold and somewhat stiff bed. The smell of the air seemed... lifeless... sterile... like the smell of a hospital. Forcing her eyes open, she looked up to an unfamiliar ceiling and the faces of her three friends hanging over her. "I'm in the nurse's office, aren't I?" Kagami muttered dryly.

Noticing her sister's rousing, Tsukasa leaned forward and hugged her. "Sis! You're awake!"

"Hey, jeez!" The sudden loud noise and physical contact caused the twin tailed girl to recoil. She pushed the younger twin off. "Stop being so loud, you'll disturb the other patients"

Konata took a seat at the edge of Kagami's bed. "Actually, the only other people here right now is Yu-chan and Minami" She mentioned offhandedly.

"I'm glad you're awake, Kagami-chan!" The four heard the voice of Yutaka Kobayakawa from across the room, followed by the voice of Minami Iwasaki. "Don't shout. You should be resting"

"So… what happened? How'd I end up here?" Kagami asked, rubbing her temples as a she suddenly realized how much her head hurt.

"Well, after Konata asked… that question…" Tsukasa began with a blush. "You sort of blanked out. Your eyes were unfocused, your face was really red and you were hypa… herva…" The younger twin struggled with the word for several more tries before giving up. "Miyuki, what did you call it?"

The glasses girl pushed up her glasses and gave a brief explanation. "You were hyperventilating: taking very quick deep breaths." Miyuki said helpfully.

"The nurse said you should be good to go by the end of next period." Tsukasa continued. "Lunch is about to end so I guess we'll see you, sis." She waved goodbye as the three left for their class room.

Kagami sighed a closed her eyes. She lied down and tried to relax, something she was unfortunately unable to do as she suddenly heard the pitter-patter of footsteps could have only been Konata's. _She's coming back._ The twin tailed opened her eyes just so she could roll them.

"Sorry, there's something I forgot to tell you" The bluenette said

"What is it now?" Kagami asked in exasperation

Konata frowned and hung her head slightly. "I'd like to say sorry… It was a joke but I didn't think this would happen…"

What she said was certainly surprising. It wasn't often that Konata apologized. However, that wasn't what surprised Kagami. "Wait, you were joking?"

"… Um… yeah, I was." Konata said with a confused look on her now blushing face. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room got a whole lot more awkward. "Did you really think I'd ask if I could kiss you?"

"Well…" Kagami's blushed as well. She hadn't taken into account the possibility that she wasn't serious. "You looked like you meant it! What else was I to think!?" She yelled in frustration.

"Oh jeez. Wow" The bluenette scratched her cheeks, averting her eyes. She then looked at Kagami and made her signature cat smile. "So… If, say, I WAS serious and actually asked if I could kiss you, would you say yes?" She asked, eager for an answer

"I-" The twin tailed grew wide eyed, face flushing into an even deeper color of red. "Of all times, why are you asking that NOW!?"

"Hey, I'm curious." The otaku said innocently. Not very convincing, considering the grin of her face. "How likely would it be that you'll say yes?"

Kagami looked suspiciously at Konata. She couldn't think of any possible motives behind the midget's curiosity but still... She might as well tell the truth. "If you asked me before you made that weird smile you're making, I'd probably say there would have been a 50:50 chance I'd say 'yes'... but right now, it's a no"

"..."

The change of emotion shown on Konata's face was subtle – if Kagami wasn't paying attention, she probably wouldn't have noticed. Underneath that cat smile, the tsundere could see hints of joy and panic transition into a mild mix of disappointment and relief. The blend of feelings she saw somehow made her heart sink.

"Konata, you're looking at me funny…"

"Oh? Well, what's new?" Konata laughed. It felt genuine... It was like the emotions the twin tailed girl saw were never really felt.

Kagami looked away, not quite getting over the fake smile of mixed feelings Konata had worn. "Whatever, just get to class before the bell rings"

At that exact moment, the bell rung. "Too late." Konata chimed. "I guess that means I can stay until you leave right?"

"Get to class, Konata!"

"Okay! Jeez, it was just a joke." Konata said, briskly walking out the room

**Lucky Star **

"Remember, you're gonna be having a boat load of quizzes this week so you better not slack off." Ms. Nanako Kuroi reminded the class. She shot a glare at a particular bluenette sitting at the back of the class "I'm looking at you, Izumi!"

The rest of the school day had passed with little incident. That said, the students were packing up, in preparation to go home.

Konata and Miyuki gathered at Tsukasa's desk.

"Sis just texted me, guys. She said she's gonna be doing something in the library so we should go without her." The younger twin said.

"Really?" Konata grew disappointed at the fact. "Aww, I wanted to go to Gamerz with her…"

"Don't worry, Kona-chan. I'll go with you" Tsukasa said in an attempt to cheer Konata up. It worked rather well.

The otaku beamed at her. "Really? Thanks Tsukasa"

"Hey Yuki-chan, want to come with?" Tsukasa asked Miyuki.

The pinkette sweat dropped. "I'm sorry, but I have some… errands to run" Her hand seemed to automatically reach up to her jaw.

That action didn't go unnoticed by Konata. She grinned. "Dentist again?" she teased.

"Yes, it's rather stressful" Miyuki sighed. "I suppose I should get going."

"Good luck then." The otaku and airhead waved goodbye to the glasses girl as walked away.

"So, you gonna put those books in your bag or what?"

Tsukasa blinked. "Oh right, I was packing my bag!" She began hastily stuffing her stuff into her school bag with a flustered face.

Konata giggled. "Tsukasa, so cute" She said quietly.

**Lucky Star **

It was quiet at the library that dismissal time. Not a soul in the school came there to study on Mondays and, regardless of how she appeared to be reading, a certain Kagami Hiiragi wasn't studying either.

Sitting at a corner table, Kagami propped her head with her arm and lazily flipped through the pages of a textbook she had already read. She didn't feel the cool air on her skin nor the feel of the pages on her fingers. She didn't smell the faint aroma of books the permeated the room. She didn't even see the text she in front of her. He brain wasn't processing any of it. Her mind was elsewhere, wandering.

_Why Konata? Why would you drop a bomb on me like that? I never wanted to feel confused like this! __Kagami sighed.__ To be honest, if she asked me out, I'd be happy. I'd say yes. If not, I'd STILL be happy. I'd have no problem either way… Well… there's also the little matter that we're both girls but it's not really an issue for me… __She scowled.__ Thinking back though, if I'd feel fine in whatever happens with our relationship, why do I feel so angry and confused right now!? It's frustrating and making me even angrier…! __She closed her eyes.__Calm down Kagami. No need get so worked up._

"Heya, Hiiragi" someone patted Kagami on the back, causing her to yelp. "Hey, Hiiragi, keep it down. You're in a library you know?"

The person in question was a girl with short hair, tanned skin, and a pronounced fang sticking out her mouth, Misao Kusakabe, accompanied by girl with orange hair and large forehead, Ayano Minegishi.

The twin tailed girl looked at the two tensely and then relaxed upon realizing who they were. "Oh… Kusakabe, Minegishi-san"

"Hello there, Hiiragi-san" Ayano greeted her politely

"So, Hiiragi, whatcha doin' here?" Misao asked her

"What does it look like? I'm studying." Kagami replied dryly. "What are YOU doing here? Don't you have track practice today?"

"Nah. They canceled since half the team had something important come up." The brunette answered casually. "So, here I am with my two favorite people in my least favorite place" She said, gesturing to the general area.

"Would you mind if we sit with you?" Ayano asked "Since Misa-chan is free, I figured I could help her with studying for the tests this week."

"Sure. Just make sure she doesn't bother me" Kagami said as she looked back down to the book she was pretending to read.

So there they stayed for nearly half an hour in relative silence. The only sound in the entire library were the voices of Ayano and Misao as one taught the other about the lessons that were going to be covered during their tests.

Misao, true to form, was restless for the entire study session. On six separate occasions, Ayano's tutoring had to be stopped to allow the brunette to stand up and stretch her limbs or some other form of physical activity. Not that Ayano minded – she was used to it at that point. She was actually surprised it was only six times.

Having her friends be themselves as they studied near her somehow calmed Kagami. She could almost smile.

They continued like that for some time.

The sound of group study, however, soon gave way to quiet reading. The silence, for whatever reason, made Kagami self-conscious, feeling as if she were being watched. She looked up and saw that her feelings were correct.

There sat Misao, hunched across the table, resting her chin on her arms, looking directly at Kagami with curious eyes. "You okay?" She asked.

"… w-why do you ask?" The tsundere asked nervously.

"I don't know." The brunette said, tilting her head to the side. "Something seems off. When I look at you, I can tell. You're acting differently"

"Different? Different how?"

"I don't know…" Misao repeated. She narrowed her eyes and gave Kagami a once over. "Off the top of my head, you don't have that determined look you normally have when you're studying… Oh, and you're propping your head up with your left hand instead of your right hand like you usually do."

Kagami sat up, and looked at her left hand, realizing she HAD been leaning on it. _I can sort of understand noticing me having a different facial expression but do__ I normally lean on my right...? _Her eyes widened._Oh my god, yes I do. __She remembered that detail..._ It astonished her that the brunette noticed such little things about her. "Wow Misao… I never knew you to be so... observant…"

Completely ignoring Kagami's comment, Misao continued. "It's the chibi isn't it?"

The twin tailed girl blinked. "What?"

"You're having problems with that blue haired midget" Misao stated bluntly

Kagami frowned. She did NOT like Misao's description of Konata. "First off, don't call her a midget or a chibi or whatever." She then narrowed her eyes. "Second, what makes you think it's her?"

"… I don't know." Once again, The brunette answered with those three words. "You seem out of it and that only ever happens when it's about her."

Keeping the scowl on her face, Kagami averted her eyes. She couldn't really deny it. Ever since she started high school, Konata had always been the only thing that truly worried her. "… well… whatever…" The tsundere muttered.

"If it's something she said, you're probably overthinking things" Misao said, leaning back on her chair and stretching.

"What?"

"You tend to overthink the meaning of what people say or why they said it." She explained with a yawn. "If she said something hurtful or something, I don't think she meant to hurt you. Just let it go"

Kagami blinked. "… That's... actualy pretty good advice…" She looked at the brunette with suspicion. "Alright, who are you and what have you done to Misao? How are you able to give me good advice?"

"I don't know." Is once again her answer. "Heh, I'm sorta just saying things without thinking, here" Misao said, smiling and scratching her head

Kagami sweat dropped "Somehow, I'm no longer surprised…" She looked back down to the text book she was pretending to read.

_Maybe I AM overthinking this... __She thought.__ It's not like Konata hasn't made any sexual jokes involving me and her in the past… __In fact, __that __one she did earlier__ was actually pretty tame considering… __Her brow furrowed.__B__ut then again, her reaction when I said that yes and no were equally probable was fishy… __Does she have feeling__s__ for me or something... __The tsundere could feel her face heat up.__That puts a lot of things into perspective. Does that mean all the times she teased me were because she likes me...? I don't know how to feel about this... and why does the thought make me happy...? __So she's going to kiss me __on my birthday__? __Is she going to ask me out...?! WILL I SAY YES...!?_

_Kaga__mi closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.__And here I am overthinking things again… I should just trust Konata in whatever she does since she's my friend… __Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath and sighed.__Huh, I guess Misao can give sound advice sometimes, __e__ven though I technically still had to figure some things out on my own as well... I should thank her._

"Hey Misao…" Kagami muttered

"Yeah, Hiiragi?"

"… Thanks… That was pretty good advice..."

Slowly realizing what Kagami said, Misao beamed at her with a happiness seen from a child receiving a present. The positive energy radiating from Misao was infectious, and Kagami found that she and Ayano were smiling as well

_She's a good friend to have._ Kagami thought happily.

**Lucky Star **

Gamerz was not a place for the faint of heart. Tsukasa eventually found herself lost in a sea of manga. Konata was nowhere to be seen, and she found that if she kept looking lost, people would keep asking her to make poses and say weird things. To prevent anymore weird people to talk to her, she took a manga off the shelf and began flipping through pages. It seemed to stop anyone from going towards her.

"Hey Tsukasa! There you are. I've been looking all over for you" Konata dashed for Tsukasa

"Oh, Kona-chan. Sorry, I got a little lost"

"Yeah, gets a bit confusing if you're not used to it here." Konata noticed the manga Tsukasa was reading. "Strawberry Panic… So how do you like it?"

"Oh this? Well, I don't know the whole story, but I like the drawings and the characters seem nice." The lavender haired girl commented "I am confused, though. Why was there a scene where two girls are kissing?"

Konata grinned. "Well, that's because that manga is Yuri. It's a genre where there are girls who date each other... among other things"

"Really?" Tsukasa's curiosity was piqued. "Is there any Yuri in real life?"

"Well… probably. I've never seen one in real life but I HAVE heard about it online."

"Isn't it weird though, two girls dating?"

"I don't know." The bluenette thought for a bit. "Hmm... If two people love each other, I don't really see the problem with them dating..."

"… You know, I'd love to try it…" Tsukasa said

Konata blushed on reflex. "Try what? Dating a girl?"

Her face flushed as well. "N-no, I meant dating in general."

The otaku blinked. "… Yeah… I'd like to try that too…"

The awkward silence that followed was felt by both of them.

"S-so, do you want me to buy you that manga?" Finally, Konata asked.

"Oh, you don't need to"

"Nah, I still got extra cash. I may have a tight budget but I'll always have money for my friends." The bluenette said, causing Tsukasa to smile fondly. "Besides, I could use the points" She added, holding up a member card

Tsukasa and Konata went to buy the manga

**Lucky Star **

Minami was at the dentist's. She had accompanied Miyuki in hopes that her presence would prevent her from running away.

At that time, Minami was texting with Yutaka.

[She seems very distressed at the thought of the dentist.]

[_So you're with her so she doesn't feel distressed right?_]

Minami thought for a bit. _Yeah. I guess I am_

[You could think of it like that]

[_Wow, Minami. You're so cool. You must help out people a lot_.]

Minami blinked, blushing somewhat at the compliment

[No. I'm just helping out a friend.]

She heard a cry and the sound of footsteps

[Text me back later. It seems there's a problem]

Minami stood in front of the exit and sure enough, Miyuki skidded to a stop in front of her. "Miyuki, no, you're seeing this through to the end"

"But I'm scared!" Miyuki said with tears in her eyes

"You're eighteen years old. You can do this." The mint haired girl said in encouragement. "Now get back in there. It'll be over before you know it"

Minami pushed Miyuki back towards the dentist's office.

**Lucky Star **

"I'm home!"

Kagami was reading a light novel in her room when she heard her sister downstairs. _Good. Tsukasa's home. Konata probably dragged her to Gamerz like she __always __does with me._

She heard Tsukasa enter her room, probably to change. A few minutes later she heard a knock on her door. "Sis, can I come in?"

"Sure, Tsukasa" Kagami answered.

Tsukasa slid the door open and entered. She was holding a manga, probably one Konata bought for her. She sat down near Kagami's table and began reading. Kagami looked at her for a few seconds before returning her gaze to her own book.

For a good while, the only sound in the room was the turning of pages. Even still, the two enjoyed the moment of silence they shared.

When Tsukasa finished reading her manga, she spoke up. "Hey, Kagami..."

The twin tailed girl glanced away from her light novel and looked at her sister? "Yes, Tsukasa?"

"Would it be alright if I started dating Konata?"

"…" Kagami stared at her.

"Sis…?" Tsukasa looked at her sister, worried.

"…"

"… Sis, are you okay?" Kagami made no response, even after snapping her fingers, clapping her hands, and even poking her face.

"Oh dear…" Tsukasa tucked Kagami in bed as she apparently fainted.

**Lucky Star **

It was nearing dinner time for the Izumi household. That said, the father and daughter, Sojiro and Konata Izumi, were cooking up their meal.

"Hey dad, pass me the herbs" Konata said to her dad

"Which one?" Sojiro asked as he moved to open the high cupboard

"All of them" When her father looked at her with a raised eyebrow, the blunette could only sigh. "Dad, there are only three jars"

The man blinked. "… Right"

Konata was cooking and, like always, she needed her dad's help. This was because he always put the herbs and other such ingredients in places too high for her to reach. She always required her father's help to get them.

_And he always puts them back there when I finish cooking. __I never really liked that_

"Hey dad, would you ease up the fire on the stove?" Konata said as she was chopping the vegetables

"You got it" Sojiro turned the knob by a quarter, decreasing the intensity of the flames and turning the motion of water in the pot from a violent churning to a gentle bubbling..

"Alright, move over" Konata went up to the stove and put in the vegetables she had cut into the pot.

_Alright, now we just wait for a bit_. Konata thought. "We can take a break now dad."

The two moved to the living room and sat on the couch.

Once the two were seated, Konata asked "Hey dad, would it be okay if I started dating?"

"…"

"Dad?"

Sojiro looked at Konata. He maintained unblinking eye contact as the very fibers of his being grew tense enough to snap. If the girl could hear people's thought's she'd probably hear her father screaming inside.

Finally, it became too much to hold in and the Izumi patriarch exploded. "NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I DEMAND TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE BOY WHO THINKS HE HAS THE RIGHT TO DATE MY DAUGHTER!"

"Relax, dad, it's not a boy" Konata muttered.

"IF HE TOUCHES ONE HAIR ON MY LITTLE GIRL'S – " Sojiro's rage stopped on a dime. "Wait, what?"

"What's going on!?" Yutaka ran into the living room in a panic, likely because of Sojiro's outburst.

With a wave in greeting, Konata said "I asked dad if I could start dating someone"

An eager smile appeared on the red head's face. "Really? Who is it?" She said with obvious excitement.

"It's Tsukasa"

"Well… since it's a girl, I guess it changes things…" Sojiro muttered

Konata rolled her eyes. "Seriously dad? You're okay with me dating a girl but not a boy?"

"Boys are disgusting and dangerous!" The man yelled

"But YOU'RE a boy, right?" Yutaka reminded him.

"I know. And I know what other boys are like. I stand by my statement" Sojiro said stubbornly.

The two girls laughed at the said statement

**Lucky Star **

"So let me get this straight..." Kagami rubbed her temples as she tried to make sense of what Tsukasa had just told her. "Sans the details, all of this started because of the manga you were reading... right?"

"Yeah" Tsukasa said "I just want to know what it's like to date someone"

"Yeah but…" The older Hiiragi put her hands on her sister's shoulders. "Why Konata?"

"Why not?"

"Well…" Kagami was having a hard time thinking of a reason. "Well first off, you're both girls"

"Konata said love between girls is still love" Tsukasa said simply.

"But you're not in love with her" The twin tailed girl said almost desperately.

"Well… no." The younger twin relented. "But who knows? Maybe if we date for a few weeks, we'll grow to love each other." She said giddily.

Kagami let go of her sister and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why...? why not...? why...? why not...?" She began muttering. "… I guess there really isn't a reason for you not to… but..."

"You know you seem to be trying really hard to think of reasons for us not to date." Tsukasa looked at Kagami in worry. "Sis, are you sure you're not just jealous?"

Immediately, the tsundere's face flushed. "W-w-what!? No! What are you talking about? Jealous? Me? No." She stammered.

"Kagami..." The younger Hiiragi said slowly.

One look at Tsukasa's face and the twin tailed girl relented. "… alright fine, I'm a little jealous." She said, finally. "Why is it YOU'RE getting someone?"

"Well… I don't know." Tsukasa thought for a bit. "Don't most people see you and run away?"

Kagami cringed. "Yeah… I guess I am a bit cold…" She had forgotten how unwittingly blunt her sister can be.

"I'm gonna be telling mom and dad later." Tsukasa said, changing the subject. She looked at Kagami pleadingly. "Will you back me up?"

Kagami realized something. _If I say no, Tsukasa isn't gonna go ahead with this. If I'm not there to back her up, she won't have the guts to __even TRY to__ tell mom and dad... _The thought was sobering. _Am I willing to shoot down a chance for my sister to be happy just so that she doesn't start dating Konata? Am I that terrible a human being...?_ She looked at her sister. She was practically begging for her to say yes. _I can't just say no. I don't have a reason to. And even if I did, what right do I have...? _She had decided.

"Tsukasa. I'll help in whatever way I can"

"Thanks sis" With a big sigh of relief, Tsukasa hugged Kagami

**Lucky Star **

Miyuki was led by Minami to her bed.

"The anaesthetic should have worn off by now. Make sure to have plenty of rest"

"Thank you for accompanying me to the dentist, Minami-san"

"You're welcome. Now don't start eating sweets like there's no tomorrow or your next visit to the dentist will come sooner rather than later" Minami took Miyuki's glasses and set them on the nightstand next to her bed.

"No. I won't."

"Have a good night, Miyuki-neesan" Minami tucked her in and turned off the lights.

"Good night as well, Minami-san"

Miyuki slowly drifted into unconsciousness, despite the fact that it was only 8pm

**Lucky Star **

"I have something to say, but I'd like to say it after we eat"

Those were Tsukasa's words. She managed to say it casually at the time, but now that the food was eaten, dishes were cleaned, and the entire family was sitting around the table once more, Tsukasa's nervousness became significantly harder to deal with.

The Hiiragi family: the father, Tadao, the mother, Miki, the two older sisters, Inori and Matsuri, and the twins, Kagami and Tsukasa, sat at the table.

Of the six, only Kagami knew of what Tsukasa was about to say. Under the table, she squeazed her sister's hand in encouragement.

"Mom… Dad… Would it be okay if I started dating?"

A second of silence passed. Two seconds. Three seconds. Each one was tenser than the last.

At five seconds the table erupted with chatter. "Who is it?", "How did you get a boyfriend be for I did?", "I'm so proud of you.", and many more were said in the span of the next five seconds, until Tadao ordered for silence.

Clearing his throat, Tadao began "I'm sure the rest of us would like to know a few things. Firstly, who is it you want to date?"

"K-Kona-chan" Tsukasa said quietly.

"… Izumi…" Tadao blinked. "You DO realize she's a girl."

"I-is that a p-problem?" Tsukasa said, doing her best to put up a defiant face, but not quite getting it right.

"Well…" Tadao glanced at his wife who motioned for him to go on. He turned back to his daughter. "How sure are you this will last? Are you sure you really love each other?"

"W-well… we don't"

The Hiiragi patriarch responded with silence.

"I just wanted to know what dating someone feels like." Tsukasa explained. "Konata said she wanted to know as well. I figured 'why not?'"

Tadao looked at his daughter. After a few seconds, he looked at his other daughter, Kagami.

"Did you know about this?"

With more than a little apprehension, the older twin answered"… y-yeah. I knew"

"Do you think that it's okay for her to date the Izumi girl?"

"… y-yes. I think it is completely fine for them to be dating." Gaining a bit of confidence, she added. "There's nothing wrong with it"

Miki jumped in "Well, we don't really see anything bad with it." She explained. "We're sort of just worried about what others might say. It would make life really hard for the two of you."

"And majority of our family is not keen on same sex relationships…" Tadao reminded thoughtfully.

"We're not saying no" Miki interjected "But we'll have to think about it for a few minutes. Would you mind leaving us with some privacy?"

The four daughters stood and walked out of the dining room.

While Inori and Matsuri pestered Tsukasa with questions, Kagami stood by the door, straining her ears to hear her parents.

"Hey, I was once like her. There's nothing wrong with dating girls"

_Mom was once yuri?_

"But Miki, you're not dating girls anymore are you? I get the feeling this will never last. I don't want her to get heart broken. It's even worse since Izumi's one of her friends"

"There's nothing wrong with experimenting, Tadao." Miki said dryly. "Besides, my relationships never lasted because I always ended up with girls I barely knew. By the time they got to know the real me, either the spark was gone or they found that they didn't really like me. And you know as well as I do that it was the same case with guys"

_Wow. She was yuri __alright__… How many girls did she date before she ended up with dad? __How many guys...?_

"She's already gotten to know Konata. And if they start dating, they may start to know a lot more. Who knows? Eventually they might grow to love each other like you and I did"

"But Miki-"

"No, Tadao. Our relationship started the same way and look where we are now. She just wants to know what it's like to date someone like you did. It will be a learning experience for her to say the least"

"… If you put it that way, then I guess it's alright. Its better she learns the ins-and-outs of relationships now than when she can't afford to mess up."

"Let's call them back in"

_Uh oh… _Kagami hastily moved away from the door.

Opening the door Miki peeked out her head and said "Come back in. We've made a decision."

Once all four girls had returned to their seats, Tadao began "We've decided…"

Tadao paused for effect, and the effect was the older sisters leaning forward on the edge of their seats and the twins sort of just limply looking down.

"… That we'd support Tsukasa in her relationship"

Following the said statements were cheers and congratulations, not to mention a few jealous complaints.

_I'm happy for Tsukasa._ Kagami thought with a smile. _Yeah… Happy…_

**Lucky Star **

[Hello, Hiiragi residence]

_[Hi Kagamin]_

[Figures it would be you. Only YOU would call us in the middle of the night]

_[__Hehehe... __Anyway...__ has Tsukasa…]_

[Yeah. Congratulation's by the way. Our parents said yes.]

_[Well… that's good… So how do you feel now that I'll be dating your sister?]_

[To be honest? A little jealous.]

_[Aww, Kagamin wants a slice of Konata cake?]_

[No! Jeez… I'm just a little jealous that both of you found someone before me. I sort of get the feeling that I'll be alone of the rest of my life.]

_[Is being alone so bad?]_

[…]

_[Besides, you're NOT alone. You've got me, right? You've also got Yu-chan, Miyuki, Minami, Patty-chan, Hiyori, and of course, Tsukasa.]_

[…]

_[And if you don't think you'll find that "One person" you want to spend the rest of your life with then stop thinking that. Sure, you're a pretty cold and scary person on the outside, but I know inside you're gentle and caring. You're a tsundere. You can't help it. You just need to find someone you'll accept the deredere AND tsuntsun, because that's who you really are]_

[You always manage to relate everything to anime… Someone who accepts who I really am, huh…]

_[You'll find that someone eventually Kagami. Who knows? Maybe that person's closer than you think]_

[… Thanks Konata.]

_[Don't mention it, Kagami]_

[Good night Konata]

_[Good night. See you tomorrow. Tell Tsukasa I'm looking forward to seeing her]_

**Lucky Star **

That morning, Miyuki woke up three hours earlier than she had intended. After an hour of attempting to go back to sleep and failing, she gave up and started preparing to go to school.

And so, she walked the empty school halls, her footsteps echoing throughout the building. There were almost no students on campus that early and there was a calm in the air that was rarely felt later in the day.

However few the students were, they were still there. As Miyuki opened her classroom's door, she saw that those few students included one of her classmates. At his desk was a boy with spiky black hair.

"Sebastian-san?"

The boy blinked and turned to the pinkette. "Sebastian...?" He sweat dropped. "...It's Shiraishi, actually... Minoru Shiraishi..."

Miyuki blinked as well. "Ah...? Yes. I apologize" She said with a bow. Pulling her head back up, she asked. "So... why are you here so early?"

"I... I'm always... here... early..." He muttered, somewhat awkwardly.

Now that he mentioned it, Miyuki recalled Minoru always being at school before she normally arrived – and she would normally arrive before most of her other classmates came, although she never before had arrived as early she had that morning. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that Minoru always went to school that early.

"But... that doesn't answer my question..." Miyuki realized she said it out loud. _Oh dear. I hope That wasn't too harsh..._

"... Right..." Minoru muttered. He didn't seem to be upset, just really uncomfortable.

Miyuki couldn't help but be amused at this boy's awkwardness. Had she not felt similarly awkward, she would have giggled.

"Well, Shiraishi-san..." The glasses-girl began, deciding to be the one to get the conversation going. "The reason I am here this early is because of my appointment with the dentist yesterday."

"Dentist?"

Miyuki nodded. "The anesthetic made it very difficult to remain awake." She commented. "Even when it wore off, I still felt quite drowsy."

Minoru tilted his head. "So I guess you fell asleep earlier than you normally did?" He asked

Again, the girl nodded. "I ended up waking up three hours earlier than I intended." She sighed. "It's very troublesome to be honest..."

"Well, I know that feeling..." The boy muttered. "I always return home from work completely exhausted. I immediately collapse on the bed and, the next morning, I wake up at five or something..."

"Don't you try to go back to sleep?"

He shrugged. "I try. Don't really succeed..."

"..."

"..."

And thus, the room was thrust into silence so awkward the even the ambient sounds resonating around the school sounded clumsy.

"... Y-you have work?" Miyuki asked in an attempt to break the tension.

"Yes" Minoru said, louder than it needed to be, standing from his seat, startling Miyuki in the proccess. "I'm a host at a radio segment called Lucky Channel" He said as he quickly walked to the door and left the room.

_Lucky Channel? Oh, I remember Konata mentioning that show. An otaku-centric radio show... Why is he leaving...?_ Miyuki quickly followed. "Wait! Where are you going!?"

"Around the school! I'm sorry, but I need some air!" His pace grew faster

The pinkette blinked. _Perhaps he's just trying to escape the awkwardness of the earlier room...?_ Deciding that explanation was acceptable, Miyuki continued tailing Minoru, if only to stave off the loneliness of waiting alone in the classroom.

**Lucky Star **

Morning practice was about to start that day and Misao was just as energetic as always.

She breathed the cool morning air of the track behind the school. Her teammates were doing their warm ups and she too did hers.

As she went through her stretching routine, two particular people at the edge of the track caught her attention. At first it was just because one of them had pink hair but upon taking a better look at them, she saw that they were people she knew. _That pink haired girl's a friend of Hiiragi's and that guy next to her is..._

Finishing her stretches, she sprinted towards them. "Yo, Shiraishi!" She called.

"Oh, Misao. Good morning. How's practice?" The boy greeted.

"Just getting started." She said enthusiastically. She glanced at the girl next to him and smiled mischievously. "Made a new friend?"

"Eh... maybe..." He answered awkwardly. He scratched her head then turned to the girl with pink hair and nodded.

The glasses pinkette stepped forward and bowed her head slightly. "Hello there. I'm Miyuki Takara. Nice to meet you"

With a wide grin, Misao nodded. "Misao Kusakabe. Ditto." She gave the girl a once-over. "Wow, you have an amazing body"

"Um... thank you?" Miyuki answered with a blush, not quite sure how to respond.

"Anyway, you're a friend of Hiiragi's right?"

"Ah?" The glasses girl blinked. "Yes, I am. But which one?"

"Oh right, I forgot about Imouto." The brunette snapped her fingers in realization. "You're a friend of Ka... Kagami right?" Stuttering her first name, Misao suddenly found herself smiling uncontrollably.

"Ah, you're a friend of Kagami-san?"

"Yeah, we've been classmates since kindergarten." She said proudly.

From behind, the track captain yelled. "Kusakabe! Stop with the chit-chat and get the hell back here!" The three sweat dropped.

"Captain's orders" With a small salute, Misao ran back to the track. "Shiraishi, you still gonna MC out next game?"

"Um... we'll see!"

"It was nice to meet you Kusakabe-san!" Miyuki called

"Ditto!" She replied. "And call me Misao!" with that she returned to her team.

**Lucky Star **

Minami Iwasaki, as the nurse's assistant, was responsible for any of her classmates who needed medical attention. This by proxy meant that she was responsible for Yutaka Kobayakawa who was almost always in need of medical attention.

That morning, and really, every morning, she had motion sickness caused by the... intense driving by her sister. Thus, Minami had taken her to the nurse's office to give her something to help her sickness.

Yutaka sat on the bed, looking a little pale while Minami went to the back to get her medicine.

"Good morning Noru-kun." Minami heard.

"Morning, Yu-chan."

_Noru-__kun__...? _After a moment of thought, she remembered. _Ah, yes. Minoru Shiraishi. __He must be visiting._ Returning with the medicine, she nodded at the visitor in greeting. She was surprised to see who was with him.

"Morning, Iwasaki-san" Minoru greeted.

"Good morning Minami" The pinkette who was with Minoru greeted as well

"... Nee-san..." The stoic blinked. "You're early..." _When I went to your house, you didn't respond to my knocks on your door. I though you were still asleep. I didn't know you were already at school._

"Well... I woke up hours earlier than I intended. I couldn't will myself back to sleep." Miyuki answered with more than a little embarrassment. _It was the anasthetic_

Minami looked at the older girl. I guess that makes sense. She nodded and gave Yutaka her medicine.

"So, uh... motion sickness again?" Minoru asked

Minami answered with yet another nod. Yutaka answered with a bit more words. "Yeah. Sis always drives so fast"

Miyuki's face grew sour, as if she were remembering unpleasant. Not that it was obvious – most people wouldn't have been able to see past her fake smile. _Why would the mention of Yui Narumi's driving make her feel unpleasant...? _She blinked. _Nevermind_. _It's none of my business._

"Well, I guess we'll... leave you two be... I guess... See you guys later" Minoru said as he walked out the door, Miyuki following shortly after.

"Yes. Goodbye for now."

Yutaka cheerfully bid her own farewell to the two of them. Minami simply looked at the two and nodded.

**Lucky Star **

_I've never noticed this before but Shiraishi-san seems to know a lot of people in this school._ Miyuki thought to herself. _Then again, he DID MC most of the events in the school..._ She blinked. _There seems to be more people here now..._

Only now did the pinkette notice that the halls were much more alive than before. The number of students wandering and talking around them had grown to the point where Miyuki believed most of the students had arrived.

Upon reaching the door to 3-B, the two bumped into the Hiiragi twins.

"Good morning Yuki-chan" Greeted Tsukasa along with her sister.

"Good morning Hiiragi twins" Minoru greeted as well

Feeling a little bit startled, Tsukasa recoiled. "Oh... uh... Good morning... Sebastian-san"

Minoru sweat dropped. "... It's Shiraishi, actually..."

This flustered the younger twin even more. "Oh...! S-s-sorry..."

"Uh... It's fine – it's fine" He said quickly "Don't men-"

Kagami, however, cut him off. "Yeah, whatever." She said rudely ask she took hold of Miyuki's hand. "Could we borrow Miyuki for a while?" She asked. Well, asked not so much as politely demanded – complete with a fake smile that could be interpreted as a glare.

"... Uh..." Minoru didn't know how to respond – or even if it was a good idea to respond for fear of what the girl might do to him.

"I'm sorry, Shiraishi-san." Miyuki apologized. "I'll see you in class"

"D-don't worry. Go on ahead..." He replied awkwardly. "Y-yeah, see you in class"

And so, the glasses girl was pulled into the classroom by the ever forceful Kagami.

"You should be careful, Miyuki. I heard a lot of rumors about about that guy" Kagami said as she eye Minoru with narrowed eyes.

_Rumors? _"... But he's actually a really nice guy"

"Really?" The tsundere was genuinely surprised. "All of those rumors said he was some sort of otaku weirdo..." Upon realizing what she just said, she added "Well... worse of a weirdo than the one we have."

"He's actually very friendly, if a bit awkward."

"Hmm... Well, not all rumors are true. I guess I shouldn't have believed all of them" Kagami commented. "Anyway, what was I going to say?" With a snap of her fingers, she remembered. "Right. We have some big news for you." The older twin turned to the younger twin. "Tsukasa..."

She stepped forward. "Miyuki, Konata and I-"

The bell rang, signaling the start of classes.

With a sigh of disappointment, Kagami waved goodbye. "We'll tell you at lunch." She said as she hurried to her own classroom.

After all of Class B got to their seats, Ms Nanako Kuroi entered the room.

Her face was drowsy and hair slightly messy but presentable. In her left arm was a stack of papers and in her right hand was a cup of what could be assumed to be coffee. It was likely to be coffee as each time the blond teacher took a gulp, she seemed less drowsy.

"Alright, let's skip the formalities and have role call." She said. "Izumi!"

The door slammed open. "HERE! I'm here! I'm not late!" Konata Izumi had arrived.

"So, what excuse do you have for being late now?"

"Well I..." Konata opened her mouth for curtly closed it. She was suddenly lost in thought. "... I got nothing..." She muttered "Eh... The truth it is then." She decided. "I fell asleep in the train and ended up missing my stop."

Kuroi blinked. "Well... that was a bit disappointing..." She sighed. "Get your seat. You better be glad that I'm lenient with this sort of thing."

**Lucky Star **

The lunch bell rang and Kagami immediately stood and walked out of the classroom, much to the dismay of Misao. She was probably headed for the room next door

"Aww. Why can't Hiiragi hang out with us more?" The brunette complained. "I understand that she's in love with that midget but why can't she just get together with her so she doesn't get my hopes up?"

Ayano, while quite used to the girl's moans about the said tsundere, was quite annoyed by the recent frequency she began doing so. In the past hours alone, she had complained more times than she had fingers on her hands. "Well, maybe it's time to give up on her?" Ayano suggested. "It's unlikely for anything to get between them"

"Aww Aya-chan. Why do you have to be so blunt about it…?" Misao said lamely "Besides, you're one to talk. How long has your relationship with my brother been going downhill? What do you see in that guy anyway? He's an asshole"

"Oh, the only one who says it's going downhill is him." The orange haired girl said innocently. "From what I see, everything is going great."

Misao was skeptical at best. "… Something tells me you're the problem in your relationship and not my brother…" She said quietly

"What was that?" Ayano eye smiled at Misao. Something terrifying came to mind from her face.

_Uh oh…_ "I think I need some air. Going outside" The brunette stood and briskly walked out the room.

Once outside, Misao gave a sigh of relief "That was close…" She breathed.

The halls were fairly busy as various students were milling about and talking. One particular person caught her eye immediately though.

"Heya, Shiraishi" She called.

Minoru had been standing by the window, looking down towards the grounds below. He seemed to be lost in thought but the girl's greeting snapped him out of it. "Oh, Misao. How are you?"

"Oh, same old same old: Still in love; still unrequited." Misao gave him a mischievous smile. "What about you? Putting the moves on that Takara girl earlier?"

Minoru seemed to cringe. "I wish. Being with her is one of the most awkward things I've ever done" He said with a shudder.

"Well, you're an awkward guy. Isn't that normal?" The brunette said bluntly

"… Air heads can say some of the most painful things…" Minoru muttered

"You've met every single girl in this school by now." Misao stated. "Isn't there ONE person you think is your type?"

With an unsure shrug, he answered. "Eh… not really"

"Wow, you are the most picky boy I've met." The girl commented. "Beggars can't be choosers, dude."

"Says the girl who's been chasing someone for three years with no success" Minoru muttered bitterly.

"Hey! That particular someone is in love with another. Do you have any idea how annoying that is?"

"Yeah yeah." He replied, brushing her off. "So still no progress?"

"Nope." She answred with a deep sigh. "Kagami's still as head over heels for that midget as ever."

"Well, you might have your chance now." The boy said, piquing Misao's interest. "A few minutes ago, Izumi-san announced to the entire class that she and Tsukasa Hiiragi are now dating."

"… WHAT." Misao made a run for room 3-C "This is my chance!"

"No, Misao! Wait!" Minoru grabbed Misao's shoulder and was pulled forward, ending up face flat on the floor.

Misao stopped in her tracks "Ah! I'm sorry, are you okay?" She said as she tried helping him up. "Oh god, you're bleeding!"

"Don't worry it's just a nosebleed…" He struggled to maintain balance as the sudden and unexpected loss of blood began getting to him. "I need some help getting to the nurse's office, though…"

"Here, I'll help you"

"This is why you're not allowed to run in the halls" Minoru muttered

"Jeez, I said I'm sorry"

They stumbled towards the nurse's office

**Lucky Star **

As Kagami had finally gotten there the four began their discussion.

"Alright, Yuki-chan, remember earlier I was going to say something?" Tsukasa began. "Well, It's this: Kona-chan and I are –" she was cut off by Konata

"We're dating now!" The bluenette said must too loadly while hugging Tsukasa. The said lavender haired girl couldn't help but blush as no doubt the entire class had heard Konata and saw the two hugging.

Miyuki looked at the two of them, and then glanced at Kagami. The tsundere glanced back and smiled, as if to say _'I'm happy for them'. __Miyuki nodded_

"I'm happy for the two of you" She said to the couple.

"I have an idea, let's go on a date on you birthday, just the two of us"

"Ah!? But-" Tsukasa was just about to voice a complaint but was cut off again

"Well, it would defeat the purpose of a date if others were to come." Miyuki said helpfully

"Well… I guess it would be alright"

"Of course it would. I'm your girlfriend aren't I?"

As the two began planning their date Miyuki turned towards Kagami "Are you really okay with this?" She asked with concern

"I can't say I'm not jealous, but yeah. They have my blessing and all that" Kagami answered.

"Hey Kagami, when do you think we'd reach third base" Konata suddenly asked

"Kagami, what's third base?" Tsukasa's question followed.

Both questions left Kagami stammering with an incredible blush.

**Lucky Star **

[LUCKY CHANNEL!]

[Hiya Luckies! I'm Akira Kogami and I will be your Navigator today. It's just me today since my assistant has his day off today. _Not that he deserves one… no good lazy…__]_

[*muttering*]

[Oh? I'm getting a day off tomorrow? That's fantastic! Anyway, let's start off today's lucky channel with a high energy song from the hit 2006 anime, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Here's Hare Hare Yukai!]

[*Hare Hare Yukai plays*]

**Lucky Star **

**So yeah, Lucky Star. I'm dying to continue this story but I'm sort of neglecting my pokemon fanfic. Ah whatever. Inspiration will come when it wants to. Hahaha. I hate myself.**

**Oh. Btw, if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes, or any plot holes, don't hesitate to tell me**

**Edit: ****Hey, guys. As I rewrote this, a plot hole popped up. Kagami and Tsukasa's birthday is on July 7, ****on ****Tanabata. In this story, summer starts a week after Tsukasa and Konata officially get together. Summer in Japan apparently starts on July 20, sinking the entire premise of this chapter six feet into the ground with a tomb stone to boot. I may have to make more massive edits to chapters 2 and chapters 3 &amp; 4 and a couple chapters between the 2 and 3 to fix that ****giant**** mistake. ****A****mazing isn't it? ****Ain't I a great author? Finding out about such a gaping plot hole five months and twenty four chapters since this one? ****Uhhhhg! Please kill me now.**


	2. Something feels different

**Let's start this off with some replies. But first: Oh my god, people are reviewing! And they think it's interesting! I'm ecstatic right now, thank you. Anyway…**

**-Gigarot  
**Thanks for the info, I edited it accordingly. Also, Kagami: Who is she like? So far, the only ones I can think of are Azusa from K-on and Ayano from YuruYuri.  
One of the themes of this fic was actually told by Kagami in the previous chapter. Can you guess what it is? (Fun fact: I got most of the themes while browsing tumblr in the middle of the night)**  
-Guest #1  
**Grammar correction noted. I have a hard time looking for typos and such so it's a good thing people think to point them out. Thanks. Pacing is something I'm working on. I'm having trouble finding that balance. OOCness? Yeah, pretty OOC I guess. I toned down most of their personalities. It's easier for me to make natural enough reactions to certain situations.  
Also, yes I have self-esteem issues, but I tend to ignore them, else, play them for laughs. It's a coping thing, don't worry about it.**  
-Guest #2  
**I don't speak Spanish or anything but I used good-ol google translate.  
Yes. I'm also interested to see where this goes. I don't plan for this to go one for that long, but I don't really have any other plan than that.

**Now… on to the story!**

**LUCKY STAR**

The bell signaling the start of lunch resounded throughout Ryoo high. It was then that two girls began walking towards the nurse's office.

The girls in question were Yutaka Kobayakawa, and Minami Iwasaki. Minami was going to administer Yutaka's medicine and check her temperature and blood pressure.

"So they started dating?" Minami asked offhandedly

"Yeah. I think it's wonderful!" Yutaka said

Honestly, Minami wasn't really interested in the newfound relationship of Konata and Tsukasa. It wasn't something she was taught to be interested in. "The affairs of others are theirs and you should respect that" was what she'd learned as a child, so it's not surprising that Minami was not comfortable with talking about it with Yutaka.

They reached the nurse's office. Yutaka walked to the bed and Minami walked to the nurse's table, both of them having done this before.

"Here drink this" Minami handed Yutaka a glass of water and her medicine

"Thank you Minami" Yutaka drank the medicine and returned the glass to Minami

Minami took the glass and took it to the sink at the back of the room and washed it.

Yutaka sat on the bed, twiddling her fingers

_I want to tell Minami that I want to try dating as well… but it seems like she's not interested in dating…_ Yutaka lamented.

Minami walked back to Yutaka's bed, carrying an electronic thermometer and blood pressure meter. She strapped the blood pressure meter onto Yutaka's arm and inserted the thermometer into her ear.

After a beep, Minami removed the thermometer "Temperature's normal." She checks the blood pressure meter and then removes the strap. "Blood pressure is normal as well"

"Thank you Minami" Yutaka said glumly

"Hey now, why do you sound so down?" Minami asked with concern

"Well I've been thinking…" Yutaka looked down sadly but then looked up with a determined expression. "Minami"

"Yes?" Minami was taken aback.

"Will you go out with me?"

"…" Minami stared at Yutaka, face growing hotter and redder with each passing moment. "Uh…"

_How am I supposed to react to this? That was so sudden._ Minami asked herself. _I guess I'm not exactly against it…_

"Yutaka… I-" Minami wasn't able to finish as the door was opened violently by a student carrying a pale and bloody Minoru Shiraishi

"Nurse Fuyuki! We're gonna need some help!" The girl shouted

"Oh, Kusakabe, what happened to him!? Get him on the bed" Nurse Fuyuki Amahara ran to the two to help Minoru to the bed

"I don't know. He fell on his face and sort of started bleeding. It doesn't look like its stopping." Misao said, obviously distressed.

"Iwasaki, get the health officer of 3-B! Kobayakawa, this may get bloodier than you'd be comfortable with. Please leave, for the sake of your appetite."

"Yutaka, please listen to Nurse Amahara" Minami said as she left for room 3-B

"Okay. I'll see you in class" Yutaka said, not quite sure what to feel. She turned towards Minoru "I hope you get better Noru-kun"

The began walking back to her classroom

**LUCKY STAR**

"Well, it looks like lunch is over. I guess I'll see you guys later" Kagami stood up and walked out of Konata's classroom

Kagami saw Minami walking rather quickly towards her, before stopping in front of the door to Konata's classroom. She knocked, and then entered. A few seconds later, she emerged with a red haired girl Kagami recognized as the health officer for Konata's class.

_Huh… must be important_. Shrugging, Kagami walked into her own classroom. _Whatever she has to do, I wish her luck_

Kagami took her seat and wondered. _I wonder where Misao is._

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, Yu-chan" Hiyori Tamura asked as Yutaka arrived at the classroom just as the bell rang. "Where's Minami?"

"Oh, she's helping Nurse Amahara tend to a boy who's bleeding to death" Yutaka said nonchalantly

"Oh…" Hiyori couldn't think of anything to say. _How can she be so casual with it? Don't tell me… OH GOD SHE MUST BE A YANDERE OR SOMETHING_

Once again, Hiyori overreacts and ends up making a weird face.

"Hiyori? Are you okay?" Yutaka asked with concern "Was it something I said?"

_Yes, it's something you said! Oh my god, I can't take this!_

**LUCKY STAR**

Lunch was well beyond over when Misao returned to her classroom, looking more than a little worse for wear.

"I'm sorry I'm late Miss Sakuraba. I sorta had to do something at the nurse's office" Misao said with an apologetic smile

"I'll say. You look like you jumped in a blood bath." Said Sakuraba Hikaru, biology teacher and homeroom teacher of 3-C

"Eh…?" Misao looked at her uniform. Blood caked her clothes. "My god!"

"Change into your PE uniform" Miss Hikaru said offhandedly as she returned to her lesson

With a sigh, Misao picked up her PE uniform and went to the bathroom to change.

**LUCKY STAR**

In between classes, Miyuki walked up to the class health officer and asked about Minoru who had not returned since lunch

"He was sorta hospitalized" The girl said

"Oh dear. Was it serious?"

"To be honest? It shouldn't have been. It was just a nose bleed. For some reason, though, we couldn't get it to stop." Frustration evident in her voice, the girl continued "He was losing a lot of blood - nearly three cups by the time he passed out. That wasn't enough to kill him, true, but he won't be feeling good when he wakes up."

"That's rather alarming. I do hope he gets better"

"I'm more worried about that Misao girl he was with. She apparently tripped him by accident and is the reason he got the nose bleed" the girl said "Most people would get traumatized for causing someone to get hospitalized. She seems to be taking it well though."

The teacher walked in and the next class began

**LUCKY STAR**

After Miss Kuroi dismissed the class, Tsukasa receive another text from Kagami saying that she would be busy today as well.

"I don't really think she's busy, but I think she's giving us some alone time" Konata said as they changed their shoes at the front of the school.

"Oh, let me get that for you" Tsukasa, helped Konata open her shoe locker and switched the school shoes for her outside shoes.

"Thanks, Tsukasa. I've always hated that they put my shoe locker so high. I always have to tip toe to get the locker open"

"Don't worry, Kona-chan. If you need help I'll do what I can" Tsukasa said helpfully

"Hey…" Konata whispered as she dragged Tsukasa behind the shoe lockers

"What is it?"

"Those two" They peeked from behind the locker and saw Yutaka and Minami walk outside together. Konata narrowed her eyes in suspicion

"What's wrong? Is something unusual about them?" Tsukasa asked in confusion

"They weren't talking. Yutaka looked really nervous as well" Konata noted. "Let's follow them"

"But…"

"Don't worry. Kagami gave us this time to be alone right? Let's start by doing this. Tell you what, next time we get a chance like this, we do something you want to do."

"Er… okay…"

**LUCKY STAR**

It was the end of class for the school day but that didn't mean everyone would start leaving. The track team would begin afternoon practice in fifteen minutes. As such, Misao was performing warm ups and stretches.

Misao spotted Miyuki walking up to her

"Heya, Yuki-chan" Misao said

"Good afternoon Kusakabe-san" Miyuki greeted

"Please, call me Misao" Misao asked with a smile

"Ah… Sure. Hello Misao-san"

"So, I'm guessing you're asking about Shiraishi?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess?" Misao shrugged

"Er… well…"

"I don't know what happened after they took him to the hospital." Misao said "But I'm pretty sure he'll be alright."

"Oh… well, I hope you're right."

"So ya feeling the hots for him or something?" Misao teased

"Hmm…" Miyuki thought about it "You can think of it like that, but I don't see it that way"

"Wow. Didn't really think you'd take it seriously"

"Moreover, I'm worried for my friend's safety. I dislike most forms of injury and sickness. I'd rather have no one suffer."

"Hey, no one likes injury and stuff like that. Sometimes it just happens… It looks like practice is starting so I have to go now. Here's hoping Shiraishi comes back in one piece, eh?" Misao grinned before sprinting to the crowd of track runners that was forming on the far end of the field.

Miyuki waved goodbye before walking back to the school building, which got Misao wondering.

_Why would anyone _go back_ to school after it ends?_

**LUCKY STAR**

"H-hey Minami… where are we going?" Yutaka asked as she followed Minami

"To a playground near the school" Minami answered

Earlier, Minami had asked Yutaka to go with her to somewhere after school. Yutaka happily agreed.

They had reached the playground. Minami sat on one of the swings and Yutaka sat on the other.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Yutaka asked

"Well…" Minami began nervously "I'd like to say yes… I'll go out with you"

Yutaka stared at her "… Eh?"

"… Earlier you said you wanted start to going out…"

"… oh" Yutaka suddenly exploded in a blush "uh-uh-uh. Thanks."

"… You forgot about it?" Minami asked

"Eh… I guess I did. It didn't seem like you were going to say yes. You were really unreadable when I asked you" Yutaka looked down.

Minami stood up. "Don't worry, Yutaka. If it's you, it's fine" She reassured Yutaka with hug.

"Thank you" Yutaka returned the hug "Does that mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

"Well…" Minami was not quite sure how to react. "… both of us are girls so there wouldn't be a boyfriend…"

"Oh… That makes sense"

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami was back at the library, idly flipping pages through her text book. She had all but memorized the entire lesson, so technically there was no reason for her to be studying, here she was, all because she needed to get away from Konata and Tsukasa for a while

"Hello Kagami-san" Miyuki happily took seat at her table.

Kagami looked up to see Miyuki across the table. "Hey, Miyuki-san"

"I take it that you're still trying to digest the fact that they're dating?"

"Yeah. It was unexpected, I'll give them that" Kagami closed her book and rested her head on her arms "I'm happy for them I guess" Kagami said wistfully

"Is something wrong?" Miyuki asked

"I don't know Miyuki…" Kagami shifted in her seat "Part of me is genuinely happy that they're together now. Another part of me… not so much…"

"Well, we're in a quiet environment with not that many people and I'm ready to listen. If there was any time to talk about it, now would be a good one" Miyuki said helpfully

"… Well…" Kagami pondered a bit "I just feel so weird right now… When I look at the two of them I feel like there's this lump in my chest that makes it hard to breathe, but at the same time, I feel this warm bubbly feeling that makes me giddy."

Miyuki just nodded along

"A-and sometimes… I feel this… this irrational rage. When I think of them being together, I sometimes just get so angry. At Konata; at Tsukasa; at myself. I don't know, Miyuki…"

Miyuki was slow to respond "…I'm… not very good at emotional help… and I'm only familiar with one of the feeling you described… but I HAVE read many books on psychology, and when I think about the way you describe it… I'd say you're in love and you're jealous of them"

"… what?" Kagami sat up, confused

"Perhaps you're in love with Konata, or someone else, but when you think of Konata and Tsukasa, you feel very frustrated that the one you love doesn't reciprocate your feelings"

"… Oh"

"This is all guess work, Kagami. I may have read books about psychology, but I'm no expert."

"… actually… it makes sense…"

"Huh?"

"I must be in love with Konata"

"Kagami, please don't put too much trust into what I said. There is a large possibility I'm wrong" Miyuki pleaded

"No. I don't think you're wrong Miyuki. Look back on the times we've shared with each other. Even back then, I was in love with her"

"… hmmm now that you mention it… Oh my, its rather obvious looking back isn't it?"

"Yeah… Kind of embarrassing to be honest…" Kagami said with a blush as she realized this.

"You WERE closer to her than any of us" Miyuki noted

"Yeah… Does she know?" Kagami wondered

"If she did, I don't think she ever showed any indication of it"

Kagami sighed "I get the feeling that if I asked her before Tsukasa did, she would say yes…"

"Hmm… I get the feeling that would be how all of us would be." Miyuki said

"What? Why?"

"Well…" Miyuki began "Most of us are rather inexperienced when it comes to love and romance. If given an opportunity, we would jump at it."

"Eh… sounds a bit farfetched" Kagami said skeptically

"Hear me out. If Konata-san asked you on a date, would you say yes?"

Kagami blushed "I… well… I'd… maybe… yes…"

"If I were to ask you on a date would you say yes?"

"Well… Why not, I guess?"

"If Misao-san were to ask, would you say yes?"

"Wait, how do you know who… never mind. Yes."

"If Shiraishi-san-"

"Alright, I get it - get it. I'd say yes if someone asked… but no, I wouldn't say yes to just anyone. I think Minoru's a weirdo, so…"

"As I've stated before, he's actually a nice guy"

"Okay, fine. He's a nice guy – still won't make me want to date him more than I already do."

"So what are you going to do now? We could always try dating. We both want to know what it feels like, but both you and I know it would only be a distraction from the one you feel an attraction to" Miyuki stated bluntly

"…" Kagami thought for a while before laughing "Wow. Everything feels so much clearer now but I still don't know what to do"

"Do you feel better, though?"

"Well… I don't feel as bad now. Thanks Miyuki"

"What are friends for?"

With that Miyuki stood. "Well, I'll be going now. I have a show I'd like to listen to today that I hope is not cancelled."

"Really?"

"Yes. A friend recommended it."

**LUCKY STAR**

"Man those two were cute" Konata commented on Yutaka and Minami's pairing up as she sat on top of the monkey bars.

"Yeah" Tsukasa agreed as she swayed back and forth on the swing.

"Theirs was so different from ours." Konata said

"You're right. When I asked if you'd go out with me you said-"

"'Wow, all it took was a single flag', right?" Konata said, complete with the over exaggerated voicing. Tsukasa laughed.

"I didn't expect someone else to start dating because of us." She said curiously "Is it true that Yu-chan asked you for advice on how to start dating someone?"

"Yeah. She seemed a bit different ever since she found out about us" Konata noted "Kind of like when doujin authors mischaracterize anime characters in their works. Kind of weird seeing it in real life though."

"Eh?" Tsukasa didn't understand

"Come to think of it, nearly everyone's changed ever since we started dating." Konata noted "I didn't think it would happen so quickly. It's only been a day since we started"

"Um…" Tsukasa still didn't understand what Konata was saying.

"Oh…" Konata noticed how confused Tsukasa was "… Sorry. I was just talking to myself."

"Don't worry Konata. Just because I don't understand doesn't mean I'll stop you"

"Hey, don't think I won't stop trying to get you to understand. I may be weird, but I want us to be able to understand each other"

"Oh… okay"

"Hey, now. Don't feel bad. We'll understand each other better the longer we're together."

"Okay."

"So… wanna go to Gamerz?"

Tsukasa smiled "Sure"

**LUCKY STAR**

[And that song was brought to you by _Studio Shaft_. One of the opening themes for _Bakemonogatari_ called _Sugar Sweet Nightmare_.

Hello, I am Minoru Shiraishi and welcome to…]

**[LUCKY CHANNEL!]**

[I will be your navigator today since Miss Akira has HER day off today. I had mine yesterday and she picked up the slack for me so I've gotta put in as much effort today as I can!

Also, on a side note, earlier today, I had one of the most terrible nose bleeds I've ever had. Had to be hospitalized and missed half the school day. But I'm fine now so no need to worry!

Now, let's start off today's lucky channel as we always do! Our next song is brought to you by _Media Factory_. _Baka Go Home_, the ending theme from the first season of _Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts_. Enjoy!]

*_Baka Go Home_ starts playing*

**LUCKY STAR**

"So how did your friends react to learning that you're dating" Miki Hiragii asked Tsukasa as the rest of the Hiragii family ate dinner

"Well, they were really happy for me. Although it was a bit embarrassing since Konata shouted to the entire class that we're dating…"

Tadao swallowed the curry he was eating. "How did everyone react, then"

"Well, there was a mix of praise and… people complaining that they were jealous and…" Tsukasa was trying hard

"Don't forget the boys who apparently had crushes on Tsukasa crying their eyes out." Kagami joked, earning a laugh and chuckle here and there

"Sis, that's not nice" Tsuakasa said

"Not nice, yeah, but it's freakin' hilarious" Matsuri laughed

Tsukasa frowned and continued eating

**LUCKY STAR**

"OH MY GOD THEY GROW UP SO FAST!" Sojiro was cried tears of joy upon hearing the Yutaka and Minami began dating

"Jeez, dad. Cry anymore any we're gonna have a flood" Konata deadpanned

Yutaka sweat dropped

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good evening. I'm glad you could come over, Honoka" Yukari Takara, mother of Miyuki greeted Honoka Iwasaki, mother of Minami.

"Good evening. The pleasure is mine" Honoka said

"Good evening, Minami-san" Miyuki greeted Minami

Minami responded with a nod.

"Well… why are we just standing here? Shall we eat?" Yukari gestured to follow her to the dining room. And follow they did.

After a few minutes of quiet eating, Honoka started a conversation. A very embarrassing conversation, in the case of Minami

"I have great news." Honoka began. "Minami is now in-item with someone"

The news was met with surprise looks followed by congratulatory praises from the Takaras – more so from Yukari than Miyuki – and an intense blush by Minami.

"That's wonderful." Yukari said "So who's the lucky boy?"

"Oh, if you found Minami's acquisition of a significant other surprising, you'll be even more surprised who it is" Honoka said with a certain pride that made Minami head all but explode in a shower of blood from her embarrassment.

"She's actually with a girl" Honoka continued "Her best friend in fact. A certain Yutaka Kobayakawa"

Yukari seemed to falter a bit "Well… I guess you were right. I did not expect that"

Miyuki looked at her mother, somehow worried

"Ah, such is the way of things" Honoka said. "Young love is a strange beast"

"Young love indeed" Yukari agreed "I hope it works out with them"

Minami and Miyuki, not quite sure how to react to how their parents were talking, glanced at each other, probably hoping to find the answer by looking at the other. Alas, it proved useless as both did not understand their parents' behavior.

Resigning to the fact that they would not find out why their parents talked the way they did, Miyuki and Minami ate in silence as their parents continues talking about whatever topic they found interesting.

**LUCKY STAR**

[Hello, Shiraishi Residence. Minoru speaking]

[Hey]

[Oh, Miss Akira. This was unexpected. Good evening]

[… Yeah, good evening… So I heard the Lucky Channel broadcast earlier… is it true you got hospitalized…?]

[Er… Yeah. I'm fine, though. As long as I don't do PE tomorrow, I'll be able to come to work.]

[… Oh, that's good… Um… _Yeah, you better come to work. If I have to pick up your slack again, you're gonna regret it._]

[Thank you for your concern. Don't worry, Miss Akira.]

[… okay then… bye… _you better show up_]

[Good night Miss Akira]

**LUCKY STAR**

[Takara residence, Miyuki speaking. How may I help you?]

[Hey Miyuki-san]

[Kagami-san, good evening]

[Evening…]

[So what's on your mind?]

[Well… you know how I realized I was in love with Konata earlier today?]

[Yes.]

[The thing is… I want to get over her. Do you think you can help?]

[Oh dear… Well, I've never been in love so "getting over" a love would be difficult for me to help with.]

[It's okay. For some reason I don't want to ask my parents so I'll be fine with you… That sounded offensive, I'm sorry]

[Relax, Kagami-san. Now… as I said, I'm not quite sure how to go about this, but maybe it'll help if you find out when your attraction to Konata-san started.]

[… well… hmm…]

[Take your time, Kagami-san. There's no need to rush.]

[… I guess we'll just continue tomorrow?]

[If you want to]

[Alright, let's continue this tomorrow… let's meet at the library after school again?]

[Very well. Goodnight, Kagami-san]

[Goodnight Miyuki-san… and thanks]

[Anything for a friend]

**LUCKY STAR**

**So yeah, short chapter this time. Still haven't found a good pace for the story though. I must work on not sucking so much.**

**BTW, if you guys haven't figured it out yet, my favorite characters are Misao and Minoru. So that's a little biased considering they're the only side characters who get a ton of content (at this point, about as much as the main characters). Don't I have great prioritizing skills? Hahaha no I don't. **

**So anyway, Typos, grammar mistakes, plot-holes. If you spot any, it'd be helpful if you guys tell me about it. Reviews are appreciated.**


	3. For every minus, there is a plus

**Yay, a new chapter(?)**

**Gigarot  
I haven't watch Kiniro Mosaic yet so I didn't know.  
Oh, you are quite right. She's overthinking things. But you will find that while all hope is not lost, hope hard to come by for people that think too much.  
Minami will be having problems with Yukari? Whatever do you mean? Hahaha I suck at sarcasm**

**Guest #1  
Looks like another job for google translate...  
I'm a yuri enthusiast but I'm not too keen on the "everyone gets a partner" thing. Not everyone will end up getting paired with someone because it's not like not like they _need_ to be. If I _do_ end up pairing everyone, well that's just how it goes.  
And No, Minoru won't be getting a threesome at any time at all in this fic.**

**So here's chapter two. "For every minus, there is a plus". I wrote it at the same time as the next chapter. It used to be one big chapter but I decided to split it because of the dissonance in tone between the _coinciding moments_ (Get it? Yes? No? Maybe?). Some scenes were too light hearted to be put with the other scenes that they coincide with. So anyway, here's this chapter.  
Fair warning: This chapter will contain melodramatic angst cause by misunderstandings and an overactive imagination**

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami awoke to something akin to a miracle that Friday morning. She was stirred by Tsukasa attempting to wake her up.

"This is surprising. Normally it's me that's the one who's waking her twin." Kagami said wryly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I surprised myself too" Tsukasa said cheerfully "C'mon, breakfast's ready"

"I'll be down in a bit" Kagami said, sitting up

Tsukasa slid the door closed. Kagami waited until Tsukasa's footsteps faded.

She sighed, in a mix of relief, anxiety, and more than a little ironic pride.

_Wow. For all the bad habits she has, Konata seems to be a really good influence on Tsukasa. This is the third morning this week that she's woken up early_ Kagami mused. _She's even asking me for help with homework more often… although it could just be because Konata's copying off of her now instead... It would mean Konata's still dependent on me, except not directly… It also means Tsukasa's now dependent on me too. That means by the time we become college students, those two would… Darn it, Kagami, you're over thinking things again! _Kagami shook her head to dispel prior thoughts

_… Those two are together now… They've been together for nearly a week now… So much has changed with the two of them, but at the same time, it feels like they're still the air headed sister and weird otaku I know and love… love…_ Kagami's brows furrowed. _I said I wanted to get over my love for Konata, but let's face it, I wasn't being serious. And even in I WAS serious I probably wouldn't have made any more progress than I have now… _

She got out of bed and began changing into her uniform.

_Ah whatever. I'm probably overthinking things again. I guess it's better to just let it be. Hopefully my problems will just fix themselves._

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good work, Kusakabe. That was your fastest time yet." The track team captain praised.

"Really? That's awesome!" Misao pumped her fist with a sense of accomplishment.

"Wanna' try for faster?"

"I sure do!"

Misao was having morning practice with the track team – Her last practice before summer break.

Being a track runner herself, it meant she ALWAYS had to attend practice, regardless of how early the training session starts. This became a good thing as Misao got into the habit of waking up early.

"Your time is exactly the same, down to the milliseconds." The captain scratched her head. "I'm not even disappointed that it isn't faster. That was amazing, as always"

Misao had the reputation of being the runner with the most consistent times out of all of the track team. It was probably because of all the stamina she had. For whatever reason, she could just run at full sprint for an hour and not tire at all. This proved to be a problem in most cases as her boundless energy caused her to be restless, but on the track, it was something worthy of praise.

And praise it did get. Misao almost constantly got complimented on her performance on the track, but somehow, she remained indifferent to the positive reactions of her peers. She did not get why, but that was how she felt

_Alright… She gave me a ten minute break…_ Misao thought as she ran to the nearest water fountain.

"Good morning Misao!" voice from above called

Recognizing the voice, Misao looked up "Shiraishi!?"

Sure enough, Minoru Shiraishi was on the third floor, waving down at Misao

"Hey! How are you!? You still weak from the nose bleed!?" Misao yelled

"Yeah. Don't worry about it. I'll be fine!"

"Kusakabe, who the hell are you talking to!?" The captain shouted from the other side of the field

"Oh! I'm talking to Shiraishi! You know, our MC in the last game!?"

"Well you better stop! It's distracting the others!"

"We should do as she says! We don't want to disturb more people!" Minoru said "I'll see you later"

"Okay then! See you later"

With a wave goodbye, Minoru disappeared into the school building.

_I'm glad he's okay now_. Misao thought. _And seeing him reminds me of something. Now that the squirt's with Tsukasa, I can finally make a move on Kagami… Wow, I've been thinking that all week and I STILL haven't made my move. But you'll do it today, Misao. Come on, Misao! You can do it! Believe in yourself! Believe in the "me" that believes in you!_

Having sufficiently pumped herself for something she couldn't exactly do at that exact moment, Misao found herself unsurprisingly giddy. Luckily, she still had at least half an hour of practice left so she should be able to burn off that excess energy.

She sprinted back to the field

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami had opted not to visit today, and Konata and Tsukasa were with Yutaka and Minami discussing what they'd be doing for their double date that afternoon, leaving Miyuki to chat with one of her few other friends, Minoru Shiraishi.

Having jumped awkwardly from topic to topic, the two found themselves at a loss for words. They couldn't think of anything to talk about and hoped that a subject of conversation would come from somewhere.

They did not expect what they received.

"You think you know everything about me!" They heard from the hall

"That sounded like Kagami" Miyuki said with concern

"I did it because I'm in love with you!" said another voice

"That other one was Misao" Minoru said tensely

"What do you think happened?" Miyuki asked in mild distress

"Well, obviously they got in a fight." Minoru said "What do you think it was about?"

"I don't know…" _I don't like this…_

A few moments later, the door to their classroom slid open and Ayano Minegeshi entered.

**LUCKY STAR**

That lunch, Kagami decided not to visit Konata's classroom. Over the course of a week, she felt more and more like the odd-man-out when eating lunch with them. So she stayed in Room 3-C and ate with Misao and Ayano.

Misao and Ayano were gladdened that their childhood friend had blessed them with her presence. Even more so with Misao – She was ecstatic.

_It's not like I don't want to be with them, but I liked it better when I ate with Konata._ Kagami thought as she chewed. _But right now, being with her… I don't like the feeling I get when I'm near her now… I don't know why…_

_Alright, Misao, you have the perfect opportunity today. She's right there. You just have to charge head on and hope for the best._ As Misao gave herself a mental pep talk, she wolfed down her food as if it were the first meal she's had in days

As the two partook in their meal and mental machinations, Ayano had lost her appetite. _I don't like this tension in the air. It's like two volatile chemicals were sitting dangerously close to each other, and the moment they touch… boom…_

_Why do I feel this way…?_

_C'mon, Misao, just say it!_

_I have a bad feeling about this…_

_Here goes._ "Hey Hiragii…" Misao began.

_Just perfect… *sigh*_ "… what is it, Misao?" Kagami asked dryly.

"Um…" Misao gulped

"Well? Spit it out" Kagami said

"Well…" Misao coughed a bit. "Tsukasa is dating the midg-… is dating Konata, right?"

_Why do you have to remind me?_ "Yes. What about them?" Kagami asked, slightly irritated

_Alright, maybe I shouldn't have started with that… Well, can't take it back now. Keep going Misao_. "Well… I haven't really noticed any changes with them."

"Oh, believe me, they've changed." Kagami said offhandedly.

"I… well… You know how they became a couple because they wanted to… you know… find out what it's like to be dating someone?"

"Yes. I do. I was the one who told you about them" Kagami said, getting even more irritated

_Actually, I first heard it from Shiraishi, but I'm not gonna tell her that._ "Well… I was wondering if you-"

"Look, Misao, if you're gonna be talking about Konata and Tsukasa, I might as well have stayed with THEM for lunch"

In an action that was clearly done without thinking, Misao retorted "It's not like you don't always do that anyway" _Aww crap, why did I say that…_

"Well maybe it's because you're a terrible friend? You're observant RIGHT? You must have noticed how I've been avoiding them the entire week" Kagami was no longer annoyed. She was pissed.

"Well I-"

"You think I'm overthinking something again, don't you? You think you know everything about me!" She looked upon Misao with mistrust fueled by misunderstanding and an overactive imagination.

"Hiragii-"

"Tell me, Misao. You were able to tell how I was feeling last Monday and cheered me up. Why is it that now you're trying so hard to talk to me when I am clearly not in the mood to talk?"

"I-"

"You know what? I'm STILL not in the mood to talk. I'm leaving" Kagami stood up and packed her lunch and began walking to the door.

"I did it because I'm in love with you!" Misao said desperately

Kagami stopped for a second when she heard that, eyes wide with surprise, but she got over it quickly, face becoming a stony glare once more before she walked out.

The two had caused quite a scene. Everyone in the room, as well as quite a few people outside had heard them. Whispers began circulating among the spectators.

Ayano looked at the people in her classroom, and then to Misao. She did not like what she was seeing

Misao sat in her seat, with a defeated expression. "… I'm sorry" She whispered as tears began forming a stream down her cheeks.

_… No._ Ayano stood up and stormed out of the classroom

**LUCKY STAR**

The door to Class 3-B opened and in peeked Ayano. Her face was not cheery as it normally was. She gestured for Minoru to come to her. Minoru came and Miyuki followed suite

"Misao confessed to Kagami-san" Ayano said. "I'm pretty sure you heard it"

"Yeah, we heard…" Minoru said

"Her timing wasn't good, and her choice of opening topic to segue from was questionable. Kagami ended up misinterpreting where Misao was going with it. But she overreacted. Misao's crying right now. I need to have a talk with Kagami. Could you comfort Misao for me?"

"Uh… I'll do my best"

"Would you like me to accompany you when you face Kagami?" Miyuki asked

"No, I think I can handle it. Please just help Misao out. I can't stand seeing her like that. Please"

"You got it, Minegeshi-san"

"Yes, Minegeshi-san, we will do all that we can to help her"

"Thank you"

The three parted ways – with Ayano walking further along the hall to the stairs, and Miyuki and Minoru walking towards Misao's classroom. Sure enough, when they got there, Misao was crying.

"Hey…" Minoru approached her

"… Yo…" Misao began wiping her face. She gave a forced smile "What's up?"

"… Misao, let's go outside for a bit" he held out his hand

"… S-sure" She said as happily as she could. It wasn't convincing. She took his hand and he helped her up.

Minoru brought her out of the classroom to the far end of the hall, where there weren't many people. Misao leaned on the wall next to a window, sliding to the ground as she went into a fetal position. Miyuki and Minoru took places to either side of her

"So…" Minoru said as he leaned on the wall next to her, looking out the window.

"So…" Misao repeated his words. At this point her tears had dried "…I feel bad…"

"HOW bad do you feel?" Minoru asked

"Heh. Feel pretty bad. What do you expect? I was springing the water works back there" Misao said with a sad smile and unfocused eyes, tilting her head up slightly

"I'm guessing you didn't think things through again?"

"Yeah. Kinda stupid of me." She said bitterly

"Not surprising though" Minoru said offhandedly

"Minoru, you meanie. I was crying just now wasn't I? That's how you're treating me?" Misao forced a tease

"You're not crying now, are you?" Minoru retorted, trying to bring the mood up

"Heh. You got me there." Misao sighed. She tilted her head back, leaning it onto the wall. "I just charged right in."

"Didn't even try to plan ahead?" Minoru assumed

"Kept going even though I saw things were getting bad"

"And now look where you are"

Misao laughed sadly. "Yeah. A teary eyed mess."

"So what are you going to do now? Wallow in unhappiness?"

"Nah. That's not like me…" Misao breathed deeply and exhaled loudly. She seemed to steel herself "Well, what's done is done. At least I finally confessed"

"Granted, she's probably still pissed at you" Minoru said

"Heh. Probably?" Misao joked. "Welp" She stood up "Thanks. I don't feel entirely okay yet, but you helped."

"You should thank Ayano. She's the one who asked me to talk to you" Minoru said modestly

"I'll thank her too" Misao said. The turned to go to her classroom "Alright. I'm going back to class. Thanks again"

"Don't mention it" Minoru said, giving her a supportive smile and a thumbs-up.

After a few seconds of watching Misao return to her class room, Miyuki spoke up "That was an interesting way of comforting someone"

"Well, that was what I thought Misao would need." Minoru said. "Besides, I can't exactly give her a hug and tell her everything's gonna be alright. For one, Misao probably wouldn't believe me; for another, people might think things"

"I see."

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

"Shall we return to class?" Miyuki asked

"It's not like we have a choice" Minoru joked as they walked back to their room.

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano had been friends with Kagami and Misao for years. She didn't like it when her friends fought. Unfortunately, this had not been the first time Kagami and Misao fought. They had once fought during their first year. Keeping that incident in mind, Ayano searched for Kagami.

Just as the time they were first year, Ayano found Kagami at the far end of the hallway leading to the cafeteria. She was sitting in a fetal position in a small alcove in a wall, probably build to be a supply closet or a space for a vending machine but was never used.

"What do you want?" Kagami asked in a hostile tone

Ayano frowned "Kagami-san, please stop this. Misao didn't mean for this to happen"

"Yes she did. She had to have known how I was feeling but she still pushed me."

"I'll admit her timing was bad. She didn't mean to make you mad. You know what she's like. She didn't know what she was doing"

Kagami stood. "She said she loved me, Ayano. Is this what someone in love does!?"

"One will do crazy things for love" Ayano quoted

"And stupid things" Kagami retorted. "If she really loved me, she could have just told me!"

"Yes. She could have. What she did wasn't like her. But shouting at her wasn't like you either."

"Oh yes it is! What isn't like me is eating lunch with you guys. That's probably why Misao acted that way. She wanted me pissed! She wanted me to leave. She chose the best topic to get me angry!"

"Kagami, you're overreacting." Ayano said in a desperate attempt to convince her. "This is just a misunderstanding. Whatever you're thinking, it isn't the case"

"You're just like her! You think I'm overthinking things too don't you!"

Ayano's frown became a smile "You know what? I give up. You seem convinced that Misao did this on purpose and I can't convince you otherwise" She said with the tone of someone who no longer gave a damn "If talking won't work, then we'll have to do it the hard way"

Ayano took hold of Kagami's shirt and pushed her back against to the wall with a force just a few newtons short of cracking her ribs.

"Misao is crying right now. She was devastated, Kagami. Face it, you overreacted." Ayano said in an unnervingly light hearted tone, all the while, her smile – her usual, innocent looking smile – remained still on her face, unsettling Kagami immensely.

"What will it take to convince you that this is a misunderstanding?" She asked, her smile slowly growing wider "Should I have dragged Misao here so you can see what you did – So you could stare at a broken, weeping, girl? Will that help you see the truth? Tell me, what measures must I take to convince you?"

Ayano's expression became emotionless. "Maybe I need to get violent. Do you want me to get violent?" Her face returned to its earlier expression, with both her ever-disturbing smile and misleadingly kind-looking eyes, both growing wider than before, giving her a psychotic aura. "Because I can and I will"

_Oh god, help me. I-I-I've forgotten how scary Ayano can become w-w-w-when she's angry._ Kagami was speechless from fear.

And guilt. …And _Misao's crying… She never cries... I did that…?_

"I'm waiting for your answer Kagami. What do I have to do?" She tilted her head to the side

_I was just annoyed at her. I thought she was trying to tease me about Konata and Tsukasa. I didn't mean to make her cry. I guess I WAS overthinking things back there._ Kagami thought. _And she said she loved me… Me… The me that always ignored her… The me that yelled at her when she was going to confess… She must hate me now. To her, I must have all but outright rejected her. Our friendship is over… I just wanted to be away from her for a while, but now we'll be separated forever. It's already hard for me to make friends. The few friends I have are precious to me. I can't lose them! I god I messed up! I lost her! I won't be able to get her back!_

Ayano let go of Kagami when she noticed Kagami was muttering to herself with a teary-eyed panicked expression. "Oh dear, I may have gone too far."

She shook Kagami by the shoulders. No response. Kagami seemed to fall forward into Ayano who was quick to catch her.

"She's lost consciousness…" Ayano sighed. "… I'm sorry Kagami…"

She slung Kagami's arm around her shoulder and began carrying her to the nurse's office.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami came to in a bed in the nurse's office.

_How did I get here?_ She thought.

After a few seconds of pondering, she was torn from her moment of recollection by the sound of a bell. The school bell to be exact. Class was over, as Kagami realized when she looked at the clock on the wall.

_Wow. I missed all of the subjects after lunch… Lunch!_ The memory hit Kagami like a truck. _Misao… I made her cry…_

She felt an immense mass of guilt press weigh down on her, threatening to crush the insignificant individual under it.

_I answered her confession by storming out the room. How am I going to face her now?_

Kagami sighed.

She began looking around the room. Some beds look like they've been recently slept on; there was a cup of tea on the nurse's table, possibly left because nurse Amahara had to go to the bathroom; Her bag was set on the table beside her bed, most likely brought there by her class' health officer.

_I just realized something. Ayano must have brought me here_… It was a strange realization, but Kagami felt happy that despite Ayano's probable anger towards her, she still considered Kagami a friend. _She still cares about me… even though I…_

Kagami blinked. She suddenly felt a folded sheet of paper land on her stomach. She sat up to see who had thrown the paper but was only able to see a flash of light orange hair escape through the closing door.

_Ayano…?_ She wondered.

Turning her attention to the paper, she unfolded it. It was a letter. _So it WAS from Ayano…_

[_Dear Kagami-san_

_I apologize for causing you to faint. I did not mean for that to happen._

_Misao is better now. She is a hard girl to put down, and an even harder one to keep down. All she needed was time to get her thoughts straight, as I hope you have done. She was actually saddened because you two were not able to reconcile yet for your fight during lunch. She'd like to talk to you as soon as possible._

_I hope you're alright Kagami. Misao's willing to say sorry. I hope you're just as willing to forgive her, and vice versa._

_Again, I'm sorry I confronted you as I did. I was driven by my emotions and said things I did not mean to. Perhaps if I had not spoken to you, this issue would have been resolved sooner. Either way, what's past is past._

_To reiterate, Misao wants to see you, and I'm sorry about earlier._

_– Ayano Minegeshi_]

Kagami just stared at the paper, reading it over and over again as if she were looking spelling and grammatical mistakes in it.

_This is too good to be true. She would forgive me? Just like that?_ Then Kagami remembered it was Misao. She smiled bitterly_. Do I really not know my friends at all?_

"Good afternoon Miss Hiragii" Nurse Amahara had emerged from the bathroom. "Did you have a good rest?"

"Good afternoon. Yes, ma'am. I did" Kagami shifted so that she was sitting at the edge of the bed

"You seem to be having these break downs often. Is there something bothering you? Perhaps you'd like some therapy?"

"No. I think I'm good" She began shifting through her bag to see if anything was missing

"Well, okay. You're free to go. Don't overexert yourself"

"Thank you. Don't worry I won't" Seeing as all her stuff was intact, she stood bag in hand and walked out the nurse's office

She walked the hallway, half empty with students lingering at the school after class for whatever reason.

She stopped at her shoe locker, pondering what she would do next._ She's most likely at practice right now. I can probably just watch until she's done. _With that thought, she switched shoes and began walking to the field.

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao ran with all her strength, agility, and will power. She had already beaten her record which she set earlier that day. In fact, she had beaten it again in her second run, and third, and so on – each successive run faster than the last. Despite this, the team captain was not pleased

"Kusakabe, you're running yourself ragged – literally! What's going on with you?" She saw that Misao wasn't listening. "Kusakabe! Get you head outta the clouds!"

"Oh… Sorry. I had something on my mind" Misao gave an apologetic smile

"Seriously, Kusakabe. As glad as I am that you're getting better times, I don't want anyone on this team to collapse from exhaustion. You're over doing it."

"Sorry. It's just that… running helps me think, you know?"

The captain sighed. "Yeah. I know what you mean… Tell you what, I'm gonna have you jog laps and clear your head. After that, you're free to go."

"But-" The captain cut her off.

"No buts, Kusakabe. You've done enough for today" She gave a supportive smiled "Relax"

"… Okay"

She began jogging. After a little over fifteen minutes, she got bored and told the captain that she would be going home. She began walking back to the locker room before she saw a girl with lavender hair sitting under a tree on the slope of a grassy hill at the edge of the track.

_Kagami?_ Misao wondered. _What's she doing there?_

She decided she would find out and began jogging there

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami had chosen sit under a nice little tree on the hill at the edge of the track. She was glad she chose that location because the shade was cool, the breeze was soothing, and the grass was soft.

She watched Misao run, amazed at her speed and form; how she surged forward with one fluid motion the moment the whistle was blown; how she ran with graceful strides to push her forward; and most of all, how her face gave off the aura of determination and seriousness that Kagami didn't think possible of Misao.

Seriousness was something she simply didn't think of when the thought of Misao. It was surreal for her to find out that being serious was in fact something Misao could do – something she did regularly if she was like that all the time during practice.

Thinking back, Kagami realized that there were a lot of things she didn't know about Misao. Hell, she knew more about her underclassmen than she did about her classmate. Misao, however, had figured out a lot about Kagami from simple observation. _Just when I thought I couldn't feel any guiltier_

Kagami shook her head. _Stop thinking about that, Kagami, you're gonna end up passing out again or something._

By the time Misao began running laps, Kagami had gotten bored of watching people run and her mind began to wander.

_I wonder what Konata's doing. She's having that double date with Tsukasa, Yutaka, and Minami, so she must be having fun…_ And so Kagami began daydreaming.

After a few minutes, she realized she had been staring into empty space. With a tense fervor, she darted her eyes up and down and all around, looking for someone – anyone who had seen her in a daze. With a sigh of relief, she found none had seen her daydreaming.

She did however see Misao walking to the locker room, before stopping abruptly and looked at her. She began jogging towards her.

_Oh. Here she comes…_ She thought. Cue the sudden panic. _Wait, what am I going to say to her...?!_

**LUCKY STAR**

"So, how long were you watching me practice" Misao asked teasingly

"I-I wasn't here that long" Kagami said. A total lie as she had been there for at least 80% of the practice

"Well, anyway, why are you here? Don't you normally go to the library after school?" Misao asked

"I don't _normally_ go there"

"Actually, this entire week, you have" Misao stated. "I thought that's where you'd be going everyday now"

Kagami thought about it and realized it was true. She had been avoiding Konata and Tsukasa after class since Monday. Ever since Wednesday, she's also been avoiding during lunch.

"So about earlier" Misao began, her tone serious. "You know how I made you mad by talking about Konata and Tsukasa? I'm really sorry."

"No, Misao. It's fine. I should be the one sorry… I made you cry"

"Cry?" Misao laughed nervously "Who said I cried?"

"… Ayano did"

"Damn her" Misao cursed under her breath. "Okay, yeah. I cried. It's no big deal"

"Yes it is. I didn't mean to hurt you like that" Kagami insisted

"Well, neither did I mean to make you mad." Misao countered

"I wasn't mad" Kagami denied

"Then why did you yell at me?" Misao retorted

"I was… alright I was mad…" Kagami relented

"Well, I'm sorry for that" Misao apologized.

"And I'm sorry for getting mad and making you cry" Kagami apologized as well

"Can you please stop mentioning that?" Misao said, wincing at the word 'cry'

"Stop mentioning what?" Kagami asked

"That I cried"

"Oh you cried?" Kagami teased

"Damn it Hiragii… well, at least we're not apologizing to each other anymore. It was getting confusing"

"… You found that confusing" Kagami said aloud, as if hearing the words from someone else would help Misao see the absurdity of what she just said. "It was a back and forth of us saying 'I'm sorry. Not I'm sorry too'. How is that confusing"

"… what?"

Kagami sighed. "I give up" _Well that was surprisingly easy… I guess I WAS overthinking things…_

"Well, that was surprisingly easy. I thought you'd still be mad at me" Misao joked

"Well… I was mad a while ago, but now…"

"Like I said, don't sweat it." Misao reassured. "The captain said I could go home now. I'm feeling pretty hungry so I'm gonna go someplace to eat first. Wanna come with?" She asked

"Well, I don't-"The faint sound of a dying animal escaped from the depths of Kagami's stomach. _I just realized… I never finished lunch…_ "I guess I will…"

"Great! Let me get changed first" Kagami watched as Misao sprinted for the locker room to change back into her school uniform.

**LUCKY STAR**

"… Yeah I'm gonna be eating out with a friend… don't worry, I'll be okay… right. Thanks dad. See you when I get home" Kagami flipped her phone closed. "Okay, so where are we going?"

The two were walking along a bridge that led to the shopping district.

"Well, we're going out to eat." Misao said "Might as well go someplace with a lot of places to eat at"

"You have no idea where we're going, do you?" Kagami asked dryly, making it sound more like a statement than a question

"We'll figure it out when we get there" Misao assured her. "Besides, I still need to burn off some energy"

"You were running for nearly an hour! How can you still have energy to burn off? Is your blood made of sugar or something?" Kagami questioned her absurdly high endurance.

"Hahaha. That would be stupid. Blood would probably taste awful with sugar"

"You totally took what I said the wrong way"

"Really? I did? Ah, whatever" Misao brushed her off. "So we're her now. What do you want to eat?"

They had arrived at the shopping district and sure enough, there were a number of restaurants and diners with their doors open for them.

"I'm in the mood for seafood. What about you?" Misao asked

"Eh… Seafood's fine"

"Okay, I know this great little shop that has the best steamed fish" Misao said enthusiastically as she dragged Kagami to the said eatery.

Once there, the two settled at a booth close to the counter but not too far from the entrance. As Misao stated that they had 'the best steamed fish' they both ordered that. And then they waited

"So about earlier" Kagami began

"Like I said, it's fine. Stop thinking about it" Misao said "I don't like it when you're upset, Hiragii"

Kagami wasn't sure how to respond. For one, she was surprised at Misao's concern for her emotional state. For another, Misao was misinterpreting what she wanted to say before she even said it. Why she responded like that, Kagami wasn't sure. Maybe she wasn't thinking before talking again or maybe it was something else, but either way Kagami continued regardless of what she said

"Earlier you said you loved me…" Kagami stated.

Misao seemed to lag, as if there was too much information in that one statement for her to process at once.

"Y-yeah… I did" Misao confirmed with a nervous smile. "Glad you… remembered…"

"… Yeah…" Kagami said. _Where was I going with this?_

"Y-yeah" Misao agreed awkwardly. She began cursing the uncomfortable atmosphere but abruptly stopped when she got an idea. "W-well, earlier, it wasn't much a confession as it was me having those… those… me saying something I didn't mean to."

"I think the expression you're thinking of is 'A slip of the tongue'" Kagami said helpfully

"Yeah, one of those" Misao confirmed "So I want to make it a proper confession"

"Uh…" Kagami stared at her, an internal panic brewing inside her

"Kagami Hiragii, I'm in love with you" Misao said in a manner so blunt, it could knock someone out with the force. No pause for effect, not shy looking away. She looked at Kagami in the eyes and said it.

Despite already knowing it – hell, despite actually talking about it with Misao literally seconds ago, Kagami became flustered when Misao said her name, and even more so when she said those five words.

With just seven words – a phrase eleven syllables long – Misao sent Kagami into a hot faced daze.

"… Don't tell me…" Misao snapped her fingers in front of Kagami's face. No response. "… Aw jeez…"

Kagami was broken from her stupor by her cheeks being pinched. "Hey! Ow ow! Get off!"

"Sorry, you were making that weird face you have when overthinking things."

"… Er… yeah…"

"Well, I've said my part. What will YOU say?" Misao asked

"What?"

"Is my love gonna stay one-sided or what?"

"Oh… I'm sorry Misao. I can't really return you're feelings" Kagami apologized

"Yeah, figures…" Misao said, totally unsurprised. Coincidentally, Kagami was the one surprised at Misao's reaction. "You're in love with the chibi, right?"

Kagami, after she recovered from the shock of Misao knowing, said: "Don't call her… Yeah, I'm in love with Konata." Kagami began angry, but stopped midway and just agreed.

"Before you ask, yeah, you're really obvious."

"What? Really?" Kagami asked in embarrassment "Miyuki said it wasn't noticeable…"

"Yeah, it's noticeable. It's just that no one really thought to look" Misao explained. "Hell, even I was obvious with you and you only realized it when I told you"

"… Wow, I must really bad at love" Kagami said dejectedly.

"Nah. I think it's because you're not used to having crushes since most people run away from you" Misao once again hit Kagami so bluntly that she had the metaphorical wind knocked out of her

"You could at least TRY to pull your punches." Kagami said

"What do you mean?" Misao asked

_She doesn't even know how hard that statement hit me… Somehow that's expected though…_

"Anyway, you're not bad at love. You're just not used to it." Misao said.

"Aw man. If I really WAS that obvious, Konata must already know."

"Eh… I don't know." Misao scratched her head "I think she does but we can never know for sure. I've seen that chibi tease everyone at one point. I think you're her favorite since your reactions are so cute"

"My reactions… Cute?" Kagami seemed to be skeptical about that particular detail.

"Yeah. Like, you're _already_ cute but when you're flustered, you get ten times cuter."

As if on cue, Kagami got flustered.

"See!" Misao shook from a weird pleasure she couldn't explain. "Oh god that was so cute, I could just scream"

With a blush that was gaining intensity at an alarming rate, Kagami began stammering. "I-I-I'm not that cute! St-stop it!"

"Don't deny it Kagami." Misao gave a red faced tease "You'll only look cuter when you deny it"

"Misao!" Kagami scolded with her face filled red blood and her fist raised in preparation for a punch

"Okay – Okay! I'll stop!" Misao relented "Just give me a minute to get over it"

"Good…" Kagami lowered her fist. "Sixty seconds…"

Due to their… engaging… interaction with each other, they seemed not to notice the food was already at their table, getting cold.

**LUCKY STAR**

The walk to the train station was quiet. The night was well under way and the pedestrians walking the streets looked to be people wanting to get home. Two said pedestrians were crossing a bridge.

"Hey, Misao…" Kagami began

"Yeah, Hirgii?"

"… I'm sorry I can't return your feelings. I'm sure I'd return them if I wasn't already… well… Konata"

"Nah, don't worry about it. You can't help what you feel." Misao said to put Kagami at ease. "Although what you just said… Would you say yes if I asked you out?"

"Ah…" Kagami felt a sense of déjà vu. "Yes, I guess. I mean… Why not, right?"

"Okay then. Please go out with me"

Kagami stopped in her tracks. "How do you do that!?" Kagami asked in frustration

Misao stopped as well "How do I do what?"

"How can you be so blunt about this stuff?"

"Well… I don't know. I just say what feels natural" Misao said cryptically, explaining practically nothing. This was due to the fact that Misao didn't know why herself. "I don't really think about it"

"… Oh" _I still don't get it but clearly she's not gonna be able to explain anything…_

"So will you say yes?" Misao asked again

"… Well…" Kagami began reluctantly

"Aww. C'mon, Hiragii" Misao looked at her with puppy dog eyes, her fang greatly adding to the effect.

"… Er…" Try as she might, she couldn't say no to her face… "Sure. I'll go out with you Misao"

"Really!?" Misao's face slowly grew into a smile. The smile slowly grew in size. Her enthusiasm built up inside her like air in a balloon. It kept going until she exploded "YES! FREAKING YES!"

Kagami couldn't help but smile at Misao's reaction. _She's ecstatic_, Kagami thought happily.

Misao was a giddy, fist pumping mess that was jumping for joy. "YES YES YES! OH MY GOD KAGAMI, I LOVE YOU!" Misao took hold of Kagami's face and kissed her

Kagami felt a number of emotions: Amusement from Misao's behavior; surprise at suddenly being pulled into a kiss; embarrassment from the fact that it was done in public; relief at the fact that there weren't that many people to see the said act; and a weird pleasure from the unexpected lip to lip contact with Misao.

When Misao pulled away, Kagami was in a daze. Not because she was thinking, but because she wasn't. She was a blank. All she could say was "… Wow."

When Kagami returned to her senses, she punched Misao

"OW! What was that for!?"

"Next time, tell me before you do something like that! That was my first kiss!"

Misao grinned at her like an idiot. "You're not complaining are you? Are you upset that I took your first time?"

"… No. Just… just give me a warning before you kiss me or anything." Kagami explained with a blush

"Okay. I'm gonna kiss you again" Misao moved in for the metaphorical kill

Kagami flicked her forehead, causing her to recoil

"Hey!"

"Not today. You already stole one kiss from me today. You're not gonna get another" Kagami said stubbornly as she continued walking to the station

"Heh. Okay then, Hiragii" Misao said with a grin. "I guess that's all for today" She began following behind her

"Kagami"

"What?" Misao asked what Kagami said

"Call me Kagami" She said while still walking towards the station, not turning back, probably to hide the intense blush she had

Misao's confused look returned to that of a cheerful one. "Alright. Kagami"

Misao didn't see it, but Kagami smiled to herself.

_'Someone who accepts me for who I am'… that's what you said, right Konata? You were that person for me Konata. That's what I thought you meant when you said 'That someone might be closer than you think'. But now, I somehow get the feeling you meant Misao when you told me that. I didn't realize it until now. Did you know? Did you plan this?_ The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced

Kagami stifled a laugh. _Amazing…_ _Konata, you owe me an explanation, and I better get one when we next meet._

**LUCKY STAR**

[Hey, Ayano.]

[No, this is her older sister, Akira. What do you want, Kusakabe?]

[Oh. Sorry. Is Ayano there?]

[Right. I'll get her.]

[Thank you.]

[Misa-chan?]

[Hey, Ayano. Guess what happened today.]

[From the sound of you, it must be good]

[I'm not officially Kagami Hiragii's girlfriend!]

[Wow. And to think, you had one of your biggest fights a few hours ago]

[I know, right!? Even I'm having a hard time believing it. But I'm in a relationship with Kagami now. Whoohoo!]

[That's glad to hear… Are you sure you're not being too loud? Your grandparents might get mad]

[Nah. They're asleep. Trust me, when they sleep, it's like they're dead. They won't wake up for anything]

[Have your parents returned from their business trip yet?]

[Nada]

[How about your brother. Is he still awake?]

[Nope, out cold.]

[Well tell him I said hello]

[I still don't know what you see in him]

[Oh shush now. I don't quite see what you find so appealing about Kagami, either.]

[Really?]

[… Er… nevermind… Is there anything else you want to tell me?]

[Hmm… not really… Good night I guess?]

[Good night Misa-chan]

[Good night to you too, Ayano]

**LUCKY STAR **

**Who here can tell which parts were written in the middle of the night? Here's a hint: I write better when I'm sleepy. Like, the-only-thing-keeping-me-awake-is-caffeine sleepy**

**Ah, angst. I never liked writing you. You were always so stupid that I get angry just thinking about you.  
Badly used apostrophe metaphor aside, I just can't get over how stupid characters are in angst. Maybe it's because I never went through that "rebellious phase" but I swear, I have tried to understand it and failed nearly every time. That single section of melodrama was the sole reason why this took nearly a week to write. Do you have any idea how hard it is for someone with no prior experience with something to write about it? Unless I start pulling the things I write out of my ass, I won't have much to give you until I've done my research. In this case, my research was watching "serious" shounen anime and listening to Linkin Park, over and over, song after song. I thank my lucky stars that I have a high tolerance for stupidity of the characters on screen and that Linkin Park's music is more or less enjoyable for me.**

**Anyway, I tried to put some fluff in the later part. It feels out of place, but that's the reason this chapter was named "for every minus, there's a plus". As for the specifics, most (all) of the fluff was actually written _before_ the angst was finished.**

**The next chapter will be out soon… probably. Why are you giving me that look? I'm not consistent with my writing, okay!? I might make 5k words worth of content every day for a few days, but I might also fail to write a single thing for several months. But I'm still a good writer, though (hahaha, no I'm not)**

**On another note, I'm working on the cover for this fic. Unfortunately, I don't have a drawing tablet or access to a camera or scanner at the moment, so I'm gonna have to work with a mouse. Which means the drawing will be shittier than ever! Ain't that swell?**


	4. For every plus, there is a minus

**Chapter 4!**

**Guest #1  
Is there a pairing shown in the title? Is there any indication that any particular pairing would happen? Is it any surprise I decided to pair someone with my favorite character? Hahaha I'm a biased prick.**

**So here's chapter 4. For every plus, there's a minus. This is the partner of the previous chapter and it focuses on our two couples' side of the story of that day. Enjoy.  
Warning: The later part of this chapter will contain OCs that will probably not show up again in any other chapter**

**LUCKY STAR**

It was a beautiful Friday morning to wake up to. As such, Yutaka was slow to rouse from her sleep but when she did, she awoke rested and content.

Konata was another case. Due to the fact that not only would their vacation start when school ends that day, she also had a date with Tsukasa. A double-date in fact, for they would be joined by Yutaka and Minami. Despite the front of an unfazed otaku she put up, underneath it, she was a bag of nerves – stressed to the point of sleep impediment.

Yet she still woke up unusually early, albeit still not having woken up completely.

"Onee-chan, are you okay?" Yutaka asked, worried

"Yeah, just a little tired" Konata said. "I'm sure some breakfast should help"

Konata and Yutaka went downstairs to have breakfast

"Hey Onee-chan, we're going to be having a double date today right?" Yutaka asked as she closed the lid of the rice cooker and turned it on

"Y-yeah, we are." Konata began dicing a tomato.

"Where are we going?" Yutaka got two eggs and cracked them into a bowl

"Well, I thought we'd go to a café first or something" Konata took the bowl and put the tomatoes into it. After which, she began mixing it with a fork.

"Which café will we be going to?" Yutaka tiptoed in front of the too-high-up cupboard to get some spices. "Oh, there's this new one across the street from store that sells the cute stationary"

"There? Wow, I could have sworn the store across it was an antique store" Konata held onto Yutaka by the hips and lifted her so she could reach the cupboard

"It replaced the antique store a few days ago" Yutaka grabbed the spices and gestured to be lowered back down. She handed the spices to Konata

"Really? Wow. It's like how some buildings just show up in anime for one episode even though it wasn't even there in the previous one" Konata noted as she continued mixing the eggs, now with spices

"After that, what will we do?" Yutaka asked. She got a frying pan and struggled to get it onto the stove, finding it surprisingly heavy.

"I guess we go to the arcade? I'm not really sure" Konata poured the eggs into the pan.

After a few more minutes of cooking and chitchat, Konata and Yutaka were partaking in a meal consisting of rice, an egg omelet, and half a carton of orange juice.

"Good morning Konata…" Sojiro walked into the kitchen, looking more than a little worse for wear.

"Jeez dad, you look like a zombie. I get the feeling you got even less sleep than I did" Konata said with more than a little concern

"I was writing all night. I need to get another story out or we won't be able to pay for the bills next month" Sojiro said

"If we're that short on money, I could always hold back on the anime merchandise and let you save up some more" Konata suggested

"That's awfully considerate of you, thank you. But I'd feel better knowing that you're not burdened by your old man's financial problems"

"Well… whatever you say, dad. C'mon and eat. The food's getting cold"

And thus they ate breakfast together for the first time in a long time; mostly because they all woke up earlier than the time they normally woke up.

**LUCKY STAR**

As impossible as it might have seemed, Tsukasa had awoken early. For whatever reason, she was abruptly brought out of a wonderful dream by the force of gravity and her impact to the floor. Simply put, she fell out of her bed. It's not the first time it has happened, but it was one of the few times she actually woke up from it. That's right; there were times where she remained asleep after she fell from her bed.

Regardless of past events involving gravity and moving around in her sleep, she was awake now. It was tempting for her to just get back on the bed and go to sleep once more, but she resisted the urge to do so for a reason she did not quite understand. She decided to get ready for school. Maybe cook some breakfast while she was at it. Heck, it was so early she decided to cook her lunch as well.

With that said, it was exactly what she did. She even woke Kagami up, although she decided to stay in her room for a while. Tsukasa assumed it was to think as she had been locking herself in her room for practically the entire week.

As Kagami had taken a rather long time to ponder her thoughts, Tsukasa was left an equally long amount of time to ponder thoughts her own as she played with her food, waiting for her sister to come down.

_My date with Kona-chan today became a double date with Yu-chan and Minami. I wonder what we're going to do. All of our dates have been just us doing what we normally do. Is this REALLY how relationships turn out?_ Tsukasa wondered. _Well, even though Kona-chan has as much real life experience as I do, she plays those dating sims a lot so she must have SOME sort of idea of what it is to date someone._

She began nibbling on a grain of rice. _I'm sort of worried about Onee-chan, though. She seemed out of it since Monday._ Tsukasa picked at another grain of rice._ Maybe I should ask Miyuki about this? She and Kagami have been talking to each other a lot lately. Maybe she's thinking of going out with Miyuki since she said she wanted to know what it's like to date someone too… I don't know. This is all very confusing…_

"Hey Tsukasa, don't you know it's not good to play with your food" Kagami said, breaking Tsukasa from her stupor

"Well, I made it. I have a right to do what I want with it" Tsukasa retorted, surprising both Kagami and herself.

"You're full of surprises today, aren't you? First you wake up early, now you're talking back?" Kagami teased. "Konata has a bigger influence on you than I thought" Kagami said with trace amounts of sadness.

"Sis, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that" Tsukasa apologized deeply.

"Don't worry about it. It's about time you started fighting back" Kagami reassured her as she began to eat "Although you'll have to figure out when it's appropriate. We can't have you getting into fights or pissing off teachers"

"I don't know. It didn't feel right when I talked back. I don't like it."

"Hey. No one's forcing you" Kagami couldn't help but smile at her sister's reasoning. "C'mon, let's eat. I'm starving"

And so began the Friday morning of the Hiragii Twins

**LUCKY STAR**

The Takara and Iwasaki families were having a group breakfast in the Iwasaki garden.

"And so in the end, the telemarketer had to leave because her boss scolded her. We were talking for an hour" Yukari finished her story.

"You always seem to end up talking to them for hours" Honoka noted "If you're feeling lonely, you could always visit. I may be busy with work, but I'd have no problem with company"

"Er… I don't think I'd be comfortable…" Yukari said "You know… because… you'd be working and I'd be doing nothing…"

"If you say so. Either way, you plan to do nothing all day." Honoka teased. "and speaking of plans. Minami, you have something to do today right? A little date with your girlfriend"

Minami blushed "… yes…"

"Why that's… wonderful" Yukari said in an awfully forced way

"You said you'd be spending it with two other people right? What is it kids call it these day? Double dates?"

Minami nodded, totally uncomfortable with how casual her mother was being while talking about her lovelife.

"Who were you going with again? I remember something about them being Yutaka's cousin. You said they were Miyuki's friends"

Honoka and Yukari looked a Miyuki, who was a bit surprised at the unexpected gazes.

"Er… Yes. Konata Izumi and Tsukasa Hiragii"

"Both girls as well?" Yukari asked

"Why… yes…"

Yukari just sighed. "Well, I hope everything goes great for all of you" She said with trace amounts of bitterness – not enough for the two daughters to outright notice, but just enough for them to be able sense something was different.

"Oh, don't be like that Yukari" Honoka scolded playfully "It a good thing they're happy now"

Miyuki and Minami had no idea what they were talking about.

Miyuki shot Minami a look. She tilted her head towards their parents and raised an eyebrow, as if asking what the two were going on about

Minami looked at their mothers and shrugged, not knowing what to make of it either.

Miyuki and Minami returned to eating in silence as their two mothers prattled on.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata and Tsukasa were walking the first year hallways during lunch.

"This really takes me back" Tsukasa said

"Yeah" Konata agreed "It's almost hard to believe that it's been two years since we were in these classrooms."

"Wow… I sort of feel sad now" Tsukasa said wistfully "It's been so long since we've been here. And next year, I don't think we'll even be able to come back since we're gonna be going to college"

"Yeah…" Konata said in melancholic agreement. "But hey. Cheer up. You know what they say. 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery, and today's a treasure – that's why it's called present'"

Tsukasa seemed to cheer up a bit.

"And treasure it I will. Any moment with Kagami, Miyuki, and most of all, you, are presents to be grateful for" Konata said "And we're gonna be having one of those moments later today." She reminded Tsukasa

"Oh right…" Tsukasa remembered in surprise.

"You little cutie, you forgot didn't you?" Konata teased

"I… well… I guess I was thinking too much?" Tsukasa said with not much certainty

"Hmmm, I guess it runs in the family" Konata noted "Although you're a more mild case than Kagami"

"Kagami? What about her?" Tsukasa asked with concern "What runs in the family?"

"Thinking too much" Konata said "You're like this white haired meganekko in this one anime that sort of starts imagining weird things when her glasses come off. What was her name? Chihiro? Chitose?"

"Eh?"

"The point is, when left with your own thoughts, your imagination goes wild."

Tsukasa thought for a while "… Yeah. I guess you're right…"

"In Kagami's case, I guess her imagination makes things seem worse than they really are" Konata explained. "I sometimes worry about her"

Tsukasa could only agree. Thinking about it, if Kagami really WAS making things bad in her head, she'd be very concerned for her sister.

"Looks like we're here… hey, watch this" Konata said with her all too famous cat smile

"Hey there" Konata said to a boy not quite two inches taller than her

"Hey?" The boy said curiously, obviously not knowing who the girl with cobalt hair was.

"Could you call Kobayakawa and Iwasaki here?" Konata said politely. Then she looked at the boy coldly and said with a harsh tone: "I'm a senior"

"… Oh" It took a moment for the boy to realize what she just said "OH. Yes! I'll get them right away!"

Konata smiled as the boy ran back into the classroom. Tsukasa thought it was a little mean, but she too found it funny

"Onee-chan, Tsukasa-chan!" Yutaka said cheerfully as she ran up to them like a puppy seeing its owner

Minami followed closely, reaching the two shortly after Yutaka. She nodded at them in greeting.

"So guys, you want to eat with us at the roof?" Konata asked "I've always wanted to eat there."

"Isn't the roof off limits?" Yutaka asked

"Yeah, but that doesn't stop anime protagonists"

"… Eh?"

Minami looked at Konata sternly or at least that what Konata thought she was doing. Her face didn't really change. "We're not in anime… besides, I'm not sure it's safe" Minami added, making a short glance at Yutaka

"Don't worry, we'll be fine" Konata got behind Yutaka and began walking forward, pushing her by the shoulders

"… She seems very energetic today" Minami noted as Yutaka and Konata moved out of view around the corner.

"Nah, she's actually being pretty mellow" Tsukasa said as she happily followed them.

Minami looked at Tsukasa and wondered how she could tell. _Then again, Yutaka is the only one who really understands me. Maybe that's the case with them._ She nodded and followed as well

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami had opted not to visit today, and Konata and Tsukasa were with Yutaka and Minami discussing what they'd be doing for their double date that afternoon, which meant Miyuki was alone.

She sat at her table, eating her lunch glumly.

"Hey… you're looking down. Is everything alright?" Miyuki looked up to see Minoru sitting on the chair in front of her table.

"Erm… I'm fine. I'm just a little lonely" Miyuki said

"I can keep you company if you want." Minoru said helpfully

"Thank you"

"So… uh… Yeah… Great weather we're having today…" Minoru shifted in his seat.

"… Yes. Quite…" _Oh dear. I've forgotten how awkward he is with me… Looks like I'll have to be the one to begin the conversation_

"Your radio show is very nice" Miyuki started

"… Oh you seriously watched it?"

Miyuki smiled "I've been watching for three days now"

"Wow. That was unexpected." Minoru said with a mildly embarrassed expression.

"You and Kogami-san have a very nice dynamic going for you." Miyuki said

"Heh. It's one of the reasons why I was the one they ended up keeping as Miss Akira's assistant."

"So no one else can keep up with Akira?" Miyuki asked

"More like no one wants to" Minoru said with a chuckle. "For whatever reason, those before me only lasted a month or something. If Miss Akira tried to make it hard for me, I'd probably one of those one-monthers too"

"She seems fond of you."

"Well, the felling's mutual" He said with a smile

"… if I may… Are you and Kogami-san…" Miyuki began

"No. We're not dating." Minoru said. "I seem to get asked that a lot"

"Oh… I'm sorry"

"Ah, don't worry. I'm used to it. Besides, it isn't like it's something to get offended about"

"Ah. Alright then" Miyuki said

There was a long pause that seemed to rile Minoru a bit.

_Oh dear. We've run out of things to talk about_… Miyuki thought. _And from the way he seems to be shifting in his seat, he may be panicking inside. I need to think of another topic…_

"H-hey Takara-san, would you like to go to the radio station with me today?" Minoru asked._ Alright, "today" wasn't what I planned to say, but I'm pretty sure it's fine._

"Oh, are you sure? I'd hate to be a bother"

_This doesn't seem to be a situation where I can just change my mind all of a sudden…_ "Sure. Besides, I'd like for you to meet Miss Akira"

"Well, thank you. I'm free today so this is a wonderful chance"

"Err… you're welcome" _No way to turn back now_

"You think you know everything about me!" They heard from the hall

"That sounded like Kagami" Miyuki said with concern

"I did it because I'm in love with you!" said another voice

"That other one was Misao" Minoru said tensely

"What do you think happened?" Miyuki asked in mild distress

"Well, obviously they got in a fight." Minoru said "What do you think it was about?"

"I don't know…" _I don't like this…_

**LUCKY STAR**

The three sat near the corner of the fence of the roof – Konata and Tsukasa were quite close to each other while Minami sat opposite the two of them with Yutaka on her lap apparently because the floor was too hot for her to sit on. No one questioned the seating arrangements

"Wow, Tsukasa-chan. You cooked this?" When Tsukasa took out the lunch boxes, Yutaka was in awe of the food she prepared for herself and Konata.

It was a veritable work of art, both in looks and taste, as confirmed by Konata.

"It tastes amazing! I love it!" Konata said as she savoured each bite

"Onee-chan, you're so lucky" Yutaka said, after which, she began praising Tsukasa. "You must be a really put a lot of effort into it"

"Ah, it's nothing. I just woke up this morning so I thought 'why not'" Tsukasa said with a blush

"Oh, don't be that way." Konata said in a teasing way "You were totally thinking of me when you made this. I can taste the love"

This comment prompted Tsukasa to blush even harder, blood welling up into her cheeks

"Aww…" Konata spasmed from Tsukasa's reaction. "You are the cutest thing I've ever seen! I could just squeeze you senseless!"

And squeeze she did, as Konata pulled Tsukasa into a tight hug.

The two spectators couldn't help but smile at their interaction.

Yutaka felt a slight tense in Minami's arms around her. She was earlier holding Yutaka's waist from behind to keep her from falling off her lap, but the embrace had loosened a bit.

Yutaka glanced back at Minami before looking back at the arms wrapped around her. She held Minami's hands and pulled, tightening the embrace

Minami's eyes widened slightly, with cheeks turning half a shade redder. After she got over her initial surprise, Minami tightened her hold on Yutaka.

Yutaka looked down and smiled, while Minami closed her eyes.

Unbeknownst to the two first years, their little silent interaction did not go unnoticed. The two jumped in their seat with shock as Konata and Tsukasa gushed over the heart-warming scene they just witnessed

"That was beautiful!" Tsukasa said, teary eyed

"I take it back. THAT was the cutest thing I ever seen!" Konata said, causing her two underclassmen to blush.

Several more lovey-dovey scenes followed as the four ate lunch and discussed where they'd be going for their double date later that day.

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki and Minoru learned that Kagami and Misao had gotten into a fight. Apparently Kagami had been in a bad mood when Misao began talking to her. In the end, Kagami stormed out the room, leaving Misao to cry alone. Or at least as alone as a classroom full of students could be.

Ayano had decided to talk to Kagami and asked Minoru to comfort Misao. Miyuki joined to help but wasn't much use in the end. Thankfully the issue was resolved.

"That was an interesting way of comforting someone" Miyuki commented

"Well, I though Misao needed to be told what she'd done. I get the feeling she didn't really understand it herself." Minoru said. "Besides, I can't exactly give her a hug and tell her everything's gonna be alright. For one, Misao probably wouldn't believe me; for another, people might think things"

"I see."

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

"Shall we return to class?" Miyuki asked

"It's not like we have a choice" Minoru joked as they walked back to their room.

"Yo! Where were _you_ this lunch?" Konata teased Miyuki "Having a little lunch date with Sebastian here?"

The two sweat-dropped

"Er… No… We sort of had to help a friend" Miyuki explained.

Minoru began inching away, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, as if to say _"You can handle this"_

"Really?" Tsukasa asked curiously "Who was it"

"It was Misao-san. She had an argument with Kagami-san"

Miyuki pulled Minoru back by his shirt in the most subtle way she could, as if to reply with _"No, YOU handle this. You know Misao better"_

"Oh! What happened?" Tsukasa asked with concern

"I don't really understand the details. Maybe you could help me with that Shiraishi-san?"

Minoru tugged his shirt back, hoping nobody saw what he did. "Ah… well…" She glanced at Miyuki with a masterfully veiled pleading look. _Why do I have to talk to them? They're YOUR friends._ "They sort of got into an argument and… well…"

Konata walked up to Minoru and took hold of his shirt

Konata pulled Minoru close and whispered "Has Misakichi told her yet?"

"W-what?"

"Kusakabe. Has that tomboy confessed to Kagami yet?" Konata asked again

"Y-you knew?"

"Answer the question"

"Yes. She has"

Konata gave a sigh of mixed sadness and relief. "… Okay." She let go of Minoru and turned to Tsukasa

"Tsukasa, you don't need to worry about those two. They're doing just fine" Konata reassured her with a smile

Tsukasa seemed confused. "Er… I don't know but… I trust you Konata"

Miyuki looked at Tsukasa and Konata then smiled. _To the outside observer, nothing has changed, but it seems to me that Tsukasa is developing feelings for Konata._

Minoru, sensing that it was now or never if he wanted to leave, quickly walked away from the three.

"So…" Konata looked at Miyuki mischievously "How was your time alone with Sebastian?"

Once again, Miyuki sweat-dropped "That isn't his name…" She said with a sigh

Tsukasa perked up a bit "Oh right. You said last Tuesday that he's… He's called Shiraishi, right?"

"Oh? I could have sworn he was Sebastian" Konata mused "I still say Sebastian's a better name"

"Well, I enjoyed his company, if that's what you were asking" Miyuki replied. "It's actually very refreshing to talk to him. I should probably try to make more friends but it seems very difficult."

"You've got this reserved air about you." Konata noted "I think people are a bit intimidated by it." Her gaze went down a few inches "I probably doesn't help that you already have two big friends with you already"

"Eh?" Miyuki followed Konata's gaze and found that it fell upon her remarkably well developed chest. Miyuki blushed a bit. "Oh my… I never really thought of it like that…"

"Don't worry, Yuki-chan. Not everyone's intimidated by you. I mean, look at us?" Tsukasa reasoned

"And besides, I don't think anyone would be intimidated by Miyuki if they actually got to know her"

"Well, I do try to be very friendly" Miyuki said "Sometimes our classmates ask me for help with homework and I do my best to assist them"

"See? I think people just think you're too perfect so they think you wouldn't want a friend like them" Konata explained a reasoning that couldn't be farther from the truth. "Come to think of it, a lot of characters in anime are like that – So seemingly perfect that they don't have many friends…" She mused. "Miyuki, you'd do great in your own anime"

Upon reaching that tangent, the teacher of the period after lunch finally entered the classroom and the students got into their seats.

"Alright, sit down" Nanako Kuroi said, looking like she had only recently woken up from a nap "Sorry I'm late. Had to do some things"

"Yeah, probably things like extend her power nap" Konata snickered, and then recoiled when a piece of chalk hit her forehead

"Izumi!" Ms. Kuroi said, juggling a few more pieces of chalk in her right hand. She looked at her with a smug grin, although still looking newly-awoken. "Care to say that again?"

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami and Yutaka were once again walking to the nurse's office for her medicine. Unlike last Tuesday, Yutaka wasn't following behind Minami, but they were walking beside each other, hand in hand

"I'm really excited about later today" And it showed as Yutaka beamed at Minami

"I'm excited too" Minami said with a slight tilt of her head.

They got to the nurse's office and proceeded to do what they've been doing for nearly half a year now. They greeted Nurse Amahara, Yutaka drank her medicine, and Minami conducted a basic check on her. Nothing strayed from routine until Ayano Minegeshi entered with an unconscious Kagami.

"Yutaka, I think you better go back to the class room" Minami said

"Okay then, Minami-chan" Yutaka got off the bed and move for the door. "I hope Kagami-sempai will be okay"

Ayano had laid Kagami onto the bed as gently as she could

Nurse Amahara went up to her and asked "What happened? Did she get possessed?"

"Er… No?" Ayano gave her reluctant answer to the weird follow-up question

"Well, that's a shame." She said glumly, but then caught herself "Not that getting possessed is a good thing, it's just… yeah… uh…"

"I sort of… how you say… broke her with my words?" Ayano explained

"You verbally harassed her?" Nurse Amahara looked at her gravely

"N-no!" Ayano denied. "I… well… She and my friend were fighting and she sort of ended up making her cry. I told her how she was crying and how she caused it. She sort of just stared into space for a while before passing out"

Minami didn't quite understand the story due to the constant use of pronouns, but she got the gist of things. Minami looked at Ayano curiously, or at least as curiously as a blank expression could look.

"Hmm… This hasn't been the first time this has happened." The nurse noted "She actually fainted from a similar reason last Monday"

"Really?" Ayano was surprised "Well… I hope she wakes up. I'm going back to class"

"Minami, you can go back to class too. I can handle this"

Minami nodded and followed Ayano out the door

"… Who fought with Kagami-sempai?" Minami asked Ayano

"… I'm sorry… I didn't know you were friends with Kagami-san"

Minami tilted her head a bit

"… Right… She fought with Misao Kusakabe"

Minami's eye seemed to widen by a fraction

"You know her?"

She nodded

"Well… They were talking about… personal stuff and…"

Minami quieted her by raising her finger. She nodded once and walked away

Ayano just stood there dumbfounded. _What just happened?_

**LUCKY STAR**

Patricia Martin, also known as Patty, was with Hiyori Tamura, and they were in the class room, reading what looks to be one of Hiyori's notebooks. When Yutaka saw this, she ran up to them.

"Hey guys! What are you reading?"

Hiyori jumped and began putting her notebooks in her bag with panicked precision. "Nothing! W-w-we were reading nothing"

"We were reading a few pages of the manga she was making" Patty said

"Really? Can I see?"

"NO! N-n-no, you can't see"

"Aww, why not?"

"W-w-well it's because… it's not finished. Yeah. That's the reason"

"Can I see it when you're done?"

"Ah…" Hiyori looked at Patty desperately. _Help me out here_

Patty glanced at Hiyori and smiled mischievously. "You can't look at it because it's erotic and we don't want you seeing stuff like that" She stated bluntly

Yutaka's face exploded red as blood rushed in. Hiyori's did the opposite as blood began draining from her face.

"Oh… I… d-didn't know you drew stuff like that…" Yutaka said with embarrassment

"… Not… normally… I don't normally draw… stuff like that…" Hiyori said hopelessly

"It's okay. It's not like there's anything wrong" Yutaka said, having recovered surprisingly quickly

Minami entered the classroom

"Hiya, Minami-chan!" Patty said

Minami nodded in greeting

"Hey, Minami, did you know Hiyori drew erotic things?" Yutaka said with not one ounce of irony.

It was said in such a-matter-of-factly that Minami took a moment to realize what she said "… Oh" Minami's face exploded in a blush not much different from Yutaka's

Once again, Hiyori was mortified – more so than she was earlier. _The girl's a sadist! I don't care how if she realizes it or not, she's a sadist_.

Patty just laughed

**LUCKY STAR**

"So how'd you enjoy your first week as girl friends?" Konata asked as they sat in a booth not far from the entrance of the small café they chose to eat at

"Well, it seems really great since I get to be with Minami-chan all the time" Yutaka said with such a childlike cheerfulness, the hearts of those who heard seemed to melt a bit from the tender warmth

"It feels nice…" Minami added meekly.

"It doesn't really feel like things have changed though." Konata commented "Not that it has to. You two are just about perfect for each other"

The said comment was met with an enthusiastic "Really?" by Yutaka and an extremely flustered look downward by Minami

"What about you, Onee-chan?" Yutaka asked

"Me? Well…" Konata looked at Tsukasa and asked teasingly "How did you enjoy being my girlfriend for a week now?"

"Ah… well" Confusion and embarrassment arose in Tsukasa. "I-I guess I liked it? I really like how you hold my hand now"

"Oh, you mean like this?" Konata put her hand on top of Tsukasa's whose own hand was laid flat on the table. "You like that, don't you?" Konata teased, stroking Tsukasa's hand in a surprisingly seductive manner

Tsukasa blushed. "Uh… Kona-chan?" She looked at Konata then quickly turned her head to look the other way

"… What is it?" Konata asked "Too sexy for you?"

"You're face… you're making a funny face" Tsukasa was obviously trying not to laugh. Keyword: Trying.

As Tsukasa unsuccessfully suppressed a giggle, Konata blushed as well "Hey, stop laughing…"

"I'm… sorry…" Tsukasa managed to squeeze in between her hysteric laughter

Konata pouted a bit. "C'mon, Stop it, Tsukasa."

The two spectators, them being Yutaka and Minami, sat and watched them interact.

"They're really close aren't they?" Yutaka noted

Minami nodded. "And very open to each other…"

"I hope we can be like that someday" Yutaka wished.

Minami smiled and held Yutaka's hand from under the table.

Yutaka smiled as well

The two closed their eyes in contentment. And then the moment was killed.

"As, I said earlier: CUTEST EVER!" Konata said with a bit too much enthusiasm for someone in a quiet little café.

"Oh Kona-chan, pinch me! That was so heart-warming it couldn't be real!" Tsukasa said as she held tightly onto Konata's hand

"I KNOW!" Konata pinched her cheek playfully

Minami and Yutaka sweat-dropped over seeing their upperclassmen sqee over them.

_I guess they're just like that…_ Minami thought as she squeezed Yutaka's hand a lightly

_I guess they are…_ Yutaka squeezed back and smiled

**LUCKY STAR**

"Wow, Minami. Didn't expect you to be THIS good" Konata noted as she shot a zombie approaching them

The four girls were at an arcade and were playing a zombie shooter game – that particular game being one of the few in the arcade that Konata has not played to the point of mastering.

Konata was doing fairly well, having gotten to the third stage having only been hit twice. Minami on the other hand was practically playing with an aimbot, what with her impossibly good accuracy.

Minami was like a demon, mowing down entire hoards with a single shot to each zombie.

"You're both amazing!" Was one of the many cheers Tsukasa and Yutaka yelled as their girlfriends played. Others include "Look out!", "What IS that thing!?", "Eeep!", and "Shoot it! Don't stop shooting!"

Within an hour, they finished the game with only a single credit lost by Konata and three bars of health lost by Minami, beating the high score by several thousand points

**LUCKY STAR**

[LUCKY CHANNEL!]

[Hiya, luckies. I'm Minoru Shiraishi and I will be your navigator today. Miss Akira opted to let me take the lead today, for whatever reason. Thank you Akira! I won't disappoint you!

Anyway, today has been a very eventful day for me. Aside from having the obvious opportunity of navigating today, I was also met with a dash of despair and a helping of hope. Simply put, I had to help out a friend who was having some trouble. I'm sure she's doing fine now though. Hang in there, girl!

Speaking of hope and despair, those of you who have watched or played _Dangan Ronpa_ should be pleased to know that the next song is _Zetsubousei – Hero Chyrouyaku_, the ending theme from _Dangan Ronpa – The Animation_. Brought to you by _Chun-soft_. Enjoy!]

* Zetsubousei – Hero Chryouyaku begins playing *

**LUCKY STAR**

By the time Tsukasa got home, the rest of the Hiragii family, sans Kagami, had already eaten dinner.

"You said you'd be back for dinner" Tadao scolded

"I'm sorry" Tsukasa apologized with a bow

"What did you do to get home half an hour late anyway?" Matsuri asked

"Eh… We sort of got side-tracked…" Tsukasa muttered as she remembered how Konata had dragged the three of them to a book store that had a new manga up for display.

"Well at least you're safe." Miki said "I'm still a bit worried about Kagami, though. She isn't home yet"

"Did she go out with a friend?" Tsukasa asked "I hope she's okay. It's dangerous to be out after dark right?"

"Yes. She called and said she'd be eating out." Tadao said "I'm sure she's fine, dear. Don't worry"

"This is Kagami we're talking about." Matsuri joked "If she gets attacked by perverts, I'd feel sorry for anyone who tries anything funny"

"Yes. If anything, I'd be more worried that Kagami might brutally injure someone" Inori added

"Now, now. It's not nice to talk about your sister like that" Miki said sternly

"I'm home!" The Hiragii family heard Kagami as she entered the house

"Oh wow, didn't expect you to get home before me" Kagami said to Tsukasa

"Well, I'm late enough as it is" Tsukasa said with a hint of shame.

She then blinked, having noticed something "Sis, you seem different from earlier"

"What?"

"Did something good happen while you were out?" Tsukasa asked

"Er…" Kagami blushed a bit "I guess you could say that"

As Inori and Matsuri watched the twins, they both grew suspicious. They looked at each other and nodded, both knowing that one was thinking what the other was thinking

"Hey, Imoutos" Matsuri got their attention. "I think we might need to have a little talk"

"Eh?" was the reaction of Tsukasa.

"And why is that?" was the reaction of Kagami.

"Oh, no need to be so unpleasant. It's just a little conversation sister-to-sister" Inori said as she began pushing Kagami up the stairs

Matsuri followed behind, pushing Tsukasa

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami arrived rather late. By pure coincidence however, she and Miyuki reached home at nearly the exact same time. As such, they were subject to simultaneous scolding by their parents who were once again eating at the Iwasaki Manor

"Date or not, it is no excuses to be late" Minami's father said.

It was one of the few times he was home. I would often be very lively as him being home would also mean Miyuki's father was home as well

"Oh, don't be like that, Shintaro." Miyuki's dad said. "Miyuki, why don't you come eat. It's been a long time since I've had dinner with you guys as a family"

"Yes father" Miyuki said polite and cheerful tone, obviously happy that her father had come back from his business trip

"Well… I guess Tatsuya's right" Shintaro Iwasaki said "C'mon, Minami. Sit down and eat. The food is damn delicious."

Minami nodded and took a seat next to Miyuki

"So I hear you're dating a girl now" Miyuki's dad, Tatsuya Takara commented. "How far have you gone?" He asked with a smile

Minami blushed. "We've… held hands…" She managed to say

"How long have you two been dating? A week, right?" Minami's father asked "You still haven't kissed yet?"

Minami's blush deepened

"Now now, honey. Remember, it took you a year to kiss me" Honoka teased

On the other side of the table were the Takaras, observing the Iwasakis' interaction.

"That blush doesn't seem like it's just embarrassment… shame?" Tatsuya asked Miyuki to which she nodded in confirmation.

"Why would she be ashamed? She's not lying but what could she be hiding that's so shameful?"

"I'm not at liberty to tell you. Maybe mother could tell you?"

Tatsuya looked at Yukari

"Well… she's dating a girl…" Yukari said nervously

Tatsuya looked confused. "I don't see anything wrong with that. He married Honoka and she was once-"

"No, please don't mention that. Not now" Yukari cut him off

Miyuki looked at Honoka Iwasaki with wonder. _That was something I did not know… the implications of it… I'll think about it later_

They continued to eat dinner

**LUCKY STAR**

"Dad, we're home! Sorry we're late" Konata called. No response "Dad?"

Konata checked the living room and then kitchen. He wasn't there.

"Yu-chan, could you bring those manga to my room." Konata said as she began searching the second floor

Konata opened the door to her father's study and found that he was slumped over the desk in a not so graceful slumber.

"Jeez. You're overworking yourself dad" Konata muttered. She got a blanket from a nearby closet and draped it over him.

That was when she noticed a half crumpled piece of paper on his table. Konata's eyes widened when she read it

"Hey Onee-chan. Is uncle Sojiro okay?" Yutaka asked from the hall

"Y-yeah… he's fine. He's just a little tired… He must have had a long day…" Konata crumpled the paper again and threw it towards the trash can at the corner of the room.

Konata sighed as she closed the door and let her father sleep.

**LUCKY STAR**

**So a couple of points to… ah… point out (hahaha puns):**

**-Kagami x Misao is only temporary. Until this story is over, none of these pairings are set in stone. Stop overreacting  
-I enjoy conversations where the characters are doing something, like like the ones with Konata cooking. In the next chapter, we'll have an entire section filled with that (hopefully).  
-Sojiro, in this story is a writer. That's my understanding of the info that the anime told me.  
-I tried to put a bit more into a certain character trait of Konata, being her tendency to relate everything to anime and video games. Hahaha I don't think I'm doing it very well.  
-Headcanon: Minami is exceptionally good at everything that doesn't need social skills. Ergo, godlike skills in a video game she's only just played  
-Lucky Channel is an otaku-centric radio show in this fic. I chose this because it gives me an excuse to put in references to anime music that I like. Again I say: I'm a biased prick. Hahaha  
-Tatsuya and Shintaro are OCs that will probably not make any other appearances in this fic. They will however be mentioned in the future.**

**Next chapter: Next Week! ...Probably…**

**Again, reviews are appreciated. I'd be very happy if you tell me about any grammar and spelling errors you spot – the same with plot holes. Anything to make this fic any less of a pain to read. Hahaha**


	5. There's tension in the Hiragii household

**So here we have Chapter 5, There is tension in the Hiragii house hold.**

**After a time skip of about two weeks, three of our four protagonists have decided to have a sleep over at the Hiragiis' with their respective girlfriends. Despite two weeks passing by, you could say that nearly nothing has changed. You could also say a lot has changed if you interpret it that way.**

**I have no idea where I'm going with this story. I'm just such an **_**amazing**_** writer, aren't I? Hahaha.  
Enjoy?**

**LUCKY STAR**

It was a Friday morning at the Hiragii household.

"*yawn* Good morning" Tsukasa said while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes

"Good morning" Kagami greeted "You've gotten really consistent with your sleep schedule. I'm impressed"

Tsukasa smiled at her "I don't know why, but it feels easier to wake up now."

"So do you remember what will be happening today?" Kagami asked

"… Uh… Mom and Dad are going on a vacation, just the two of them" Tsukasa guessed

"Yes, but what else?"

"Well… Um…" Tsukasa seemed to be racking her brain for an answer that would not come. She eventually gave up. "What will be happening to today again?"

"Wow Tsukasa, you were so excited about it yesterday. Konata and Misao will be coming over for a sleep over."

"Eh?" Tsukasa took a moment to comprehend. The gears in her head began spinning as she began to remember. "Oh no! Is my hair okay? Do I need to take another bath? Do we have enough supplies to feed them?" Tsukasa began panicking

"Tsukasa, relax!" Kagami held her by the shoulders "Everything is going to go smoothly today. I didn't worry all week for something to go wrong now"

_Oh right. Kagami is usually the one who worries about everything. I wonder why I'm doing it now…?_ Tsukasa wondered. _And why is Kagami the one being all calm now?_

"Hey, Tsukasa…" Kagami began "How do you feel about Konata?"

Tsukasa thought for a bit "I really like her"

Kagami blinked. "What do you mean by like? Like… Do you… like-like her?"

Tsukasa thought a bit more "I guess?"

Kagami blinked once more. "You're in love with her now?"

"I don't know. I've never been in love before." Tsukasa shrugged "It feels painful and happy and exciting and a whole bunch of other feelings when I think of Kona-chan. Is that weird?"

"Nope, it's not. That, my precious little sister, is, without a doubt, love of the most genuine kind I have ever seen" Matsuri said as she walked into the kitchen

"Oh, Matsuri. Don't overstate it like that." Inori followed close behind

"What about you, Kagami. What do you think of YOUR girlfriend?" Matsuri teased

"Er… she's nice?" Kagami said, not really convincing anyone

"Wow, that was the most forced response I've ever heard. You're lucky the girl's in love with you else you'd get dumped" Matsuri commented dryly

"Well, I told her that I couldn't return her feelings but she still chose to start this whole thing. I don't think I'm the one at fault here" Kagami retorted

"Just keep telling yourself that"

"And what do you mean by that?"

As the banter between Kagami and Matsuri continued, Inori and Tsukasa were chatting

"So how have your dates been?" Inori asked

"They've been nice." Tsukasa said "It's a bit hard to tell how things have changed, though"

"What do you mean by that?"

"We still do what we normally do as friends"

"Well… does it feel any different"

"… I guess it does feel different from before…"

"Well, nearly any date is good when you're spending time with the person you love." Inori said "By the way, have you two kissed yet"

Tsukasa blushed a bit. "Er… no. Not yet"

Matsuri overheard them and asked Kagami "What about you Kagami, have you and Kusakabe kissed?" She teased

Kagami's face turned a shade darker as blood rushed in. "Ah… well…"

"Oh my god, you've kissed already" Matsuri face was that of shock "How is it that the one-sided-love relationship gets to first base before Tsukasa's?"

"Hey! I like Misao plenty." Kagami gave a red-faced protest "It's not THAT one sided."

"How did you feel when you kissed?" Inori asked, genuinely curious

"Ah well…" Kagami thought back. "… It… it was a blend of emotion… I remember being angry at Misao… being surprised… happy… I don't know …"

"Surprised?" Matsuri asked. "Don't tell me. She kissed you from out of the blue!"

"… er… yeah, she kinda did"

"Well… Gotta commend that Kusakabe. She's bold"

"… Can we please stop talking about this and have breakfast…" Kagami pleaded

**LUCKY STAR**

"Konata, Yutaka, I'm going now" Sojiro shouted

"Dad, wait!" Konata replied from the kitchen "Your lunch"

"Oh right. Thanks"

"Jeez dad, you're still as forgetful as always" Konata said. She handed the lunch box to Sojiro "Alright, here's your food. Remember to eat it this time. Do you still remember the room for your interview?"

"Yeah." Sojiro tapped his forehead "All in here"

"Good. I hope you get the job."

With that, Sojiro went off.

Konata returned to the kitchen and continued having breakfast.

Yutaka swallowed some rice and asked "How's uncle Sojiro's job hunting going?"

"Nothing yet. Hopefully he'll get this one" Konata reached over the table and grabbed the carton of orange juice

"What are you going to be doing today?" Yutaka asked as she held out her glass for Konata to fill

Konata filled Yutaka's glass and moved to fill her own glass "Well, I'm sorta going over to Tsukasa's again. Remember, we're having a sleepover?"

"I'm going to be going to Minami's house again" Yutaka sipped some of her juice. "You're not gonna be back when I get home are you?"

"No. It's called a sleepover for a reason. Sorry Yu-chan" Konata downed her entire glass "Ah… Don't worry about food though. I made you guys' dinner earlier. Just reheat what's in the fridge."

"Thanks onee-chan"

"Don't mention it"

The two continued eating

**LUCKY STAR**

"Bitch, let me get some sleep!"

"It's nine in the morning and grandma wants you up!" Misao shouted

"Shut up! It's summer vacation! For once, let me fucking sleep in!"

"I'm not the one calling the shots here, _brother_"

"But you don't have to be such a bitch, _sister_"

"Masaru, Misao! Get down here now and have breakfast or so help me…!" The two heard from downstairs

"We're coming grandma!" Misao replied "God damn it, Masaru! Get up, you lazy bastard"

"Shut up! I get it! I'm getting up!" Masaru said as her began rubbing his palms over his eyes "… Bitch"

Misao made a shaky sigh, obviously frustrated with her brother. _Calm down, Misao; just think of the sleepover later._

**LUCKY STAR**

At one o'clock that afternoon, the door to the Hiragii household opened.

"Hey Tsukasa and her twin" Konata greeted with her signature cat face

"Good afternoon Kona-chan" Tsukasa replied cheerfully

"I have a name, you know" Kagami said dryly. "Whatever, just get in"

Konata entered and made for the stairs to Kagami's room. Upon reaching her destination, she immediately made herself at home

"The way you act, it's almost like you're not just a guest." Kagami noted with a hint of irritation

"Hey. I've been hanging out here for nearly two weeks." Konata retorted "I practically live here"

"Yes, you HAVE been staying at our house a lot. You do realize you could stay at your own house once and a while, right?" Kagami reasoned "Don't you have anime to watch or something?"

"Er… Well, nothing good is on these days" was Konata's excuse.

"Uh huh" Kagami said with a raised eyebrow, not really convinced

"Besides, being here makes it easier to spend time with Tsukasa" Konata hugged Tsukasa

"Aww. That's sweet, Kona-chan" Tsukasa hugged her back

"You two are so cute it almost sickens me…" Kagami commented

"What's wrong, Kagamin? Are you jealous because you and Misakichi aren't cute?" Konata teased

"S-shut it!" Kagami's cheeks reddened "Misao and I are plenty cute!"

"Oh! Would you like to make a little wager on that?" Konata asked with a mischievous smirk "What would you be willing to bet?"

"I don't like that look on your face" Kagami frowned "Firstly, making bets for something so subjective is stupid; secondly, I'm not going to be making any bets involving Misao unless she's right here"

"Really now…?" Konata looked at her with her cat smile "Then we better get Misao here"

At that moment, the doorbell rang

"I'll get it" Konata chimed as she shot up and bolted of the door

"… I can almost see exactly where this is going and I don't like it one bit…" Kagami said dryly, knowing full well that the person who rang would be Misao.

"Why's that?" Tsukasa asked, still attempting to process the three or so minutes of conversation that just transpired

Kagami sighed "I don't know. I'm sort of imagining a cute-off between me and Misao against you and Konata"

"Really?" Tsukasa asked excitedly "Who do you think would win?"

"How should I know?" Kagami answered

Kagami sighed again. _Jeez. Why does Konata always do stuff like this. She must know I find it embarrassing… _She paused and then shook her head._ And look at me. I'm already assuming she's done it. Man, I shouldn't be so assuming. If I make it a habit I might end up offending someone… What if I end up offending my professors in college? Or worse I end up offending someone offering me a job and – Darn it Kagami, there you go again letting your imagination go wild!_

With a sigh, Kagami reached for the plate on the table and began eating the cookies Tsukasa had baked.

Several seconds pass before Konata and Misao burst into the room.

"Kagami, help me prove to this midget that we're cuter than her and imouto!" Misao shouted, pointing at Konata who had an amused grin on her face

_Wow, this is truly surprising!_ Kagami thought in a fit of inner sarcasm "You DO realize you're trying to out-cute Tsukasa, right?"

"Eh…" Misao stared at Kagami. She stared at Tsukasa, and by proxy, Konata who had decided to sit on her lap. Misao seemed to lose confidence.

"… Well… That would be way harder to top than I thought…" With a blush, Misao relented. "I don't think anything could out-cute that…"

"Actually…" Konata began "You haven't even seen what untoppable cuteness is yet"

"Yeah. We've seen two who were way cuter that we are." Tsukasa agreed

"I don't believe you!" Misao yelled "Show me some proof"

Konata got off of Tsukasa's lap and showed Misao something on her cellphone

"… Wow…" Misao was speechless.

"What? Let me see" Kagami leaned over to look. "… Wow…"

It was a picture of Minami feeding Yutaka some ice cream

"You should have seen Hiyorin when I showed this to her" Konata joked "I don't think I've ever seen her have a more impressive nose bleed"

"Cute as this is, I don't think you should have shown her" Kagami said concern "Wouldn't losing too much blood kill her?"

Konata thought for a bit. "Nah" Konata dismissed it "It would take at least a liter of blood for her to be in any real danger"

"Really? How do you know?" Kagami asked skeptically

"I read it online."

"You know, not everything you read online is true"

"No, I'm sure this is true. They had sources and everything" Konata insited

"Alright fine, I get it"

There was a moment of silence

"Well, Misao, are you just gonna stand there?" Kagami deadpanned

"What…?" Misao suddenly realized she was still standing in the middle of the room. "Oh… right. Thanks Kagami"

"Don't mention it." Kagami said off handedly as she once again began nibbling at the cookies Tsukasa made

Misao took a seat next to Kagami.

**LUCKY STAR**

The four sat at the table in Kagami's room, studying for their college entrance tests

"Kagami, I'm bored!" Misao complained

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Kagami asked, not looking up from her book

"I don't know. You're the host aren't ya? You're not doing a good job taking care of your guest"

"I ask again, what do you want me to do about it?" Kagami said dryly "I can't read your mind, Misao."

"Well neither can I because I don't know what I want to do" Misao said vaguely "But I don't want to just sit here reading."

Kagami looked up from her book "You're the only one complaining, Misao. Just look at Konata and Tsukasa… actually never mind…" Kagami glanced at the two and noted that they were asleep.

Kagami sighed "Alright, I guess it would be okay for us to take a little break" She stretched her arms "Ah… So what do you want to do?"

Misao leaned back on her floor cushion and was now lying down. "Like I said, I don't know… You want to go out for a run?"

Kagami looked out the window. "It's daytime in the summer and there's not a cloud in the sky. If you want to go jog in the sun for a while, be my guest, just don't expect me to join you" She returned to reading her book

Misao sat up and moped. "Awww. But I want to be with you"

"Well, can you think of anything we can do in-doors?" Kagami asked, not really interested in thinking of something to do.

"Maybe break out the Play Station?"

"My sisters are watching a movie right now, so we can't use the TV"

"Computer games?"

"We don't have games on our computer and our internet's been on the fritz for the past three days. Sorry"

"Okay, do you have any manga?"

"Not really. I've got a lot of light novels though." Kagami said "Tsukasa probably has some but I'm not letting you take any without asking her"

"Awww. You're no fun, Kagami. Stop being such a stick in the mud!"

Kagami looked at her with a raised eyebrow "If you don't like my company, you could always leave"

"But kaaaaagamiiiiiii…" Misao moaned as she slumped onto the table in defeat

Kagami put her book down and sighed. "Misao, as much as I like doing things with you, I also like my peace and quiet." She said with and edge of irritation

"I know…" Misao said glumly "Sorry…"

Kagami sighed again "You don't need to say sorry." Kagami laid her hand on Misao's head

Misao blushed heavily when Kagami patted her. _Wow, this is nice._

"Look. My sister's movie should end in around ten minutes. If those two don't wake up by then, why don't we go down and play some video games?"

She beamed at Kagami "Thanks Kagami"

Kagami smiled back. _As annoying as she is, that girl's smile is just so infectious_

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata woke up in a daze. _Where am I?_

She looked around and saw that she was lying down on the floor next to the table and Tsukasa had her arms wrapped tightly around her, with her face incredibly close to Tsukasa's.

Konata was filled with surprise. _We must have fallen asleep while studying. How did we end up cuddling like this though?_ She wondered

_So cute…_ Konata thought as she noted how Tsukasa's face seemed to exude an aura of innocence that Konata wished to take for herself, and urge which she resisted with all her being.

_She wouldn't mind if I kissed her right…? I mean, it's just a kiss… And she IS my girlfriend… _Konata reasoned in her head whether or not to kiss Tsukasa. _But it wouldn't be the same than if she gives it to me. I would have stolen it. That would be like cheating on dating sims by unlocking CGs using gamesharks or something._

As Konata convinced herself that stealing a kiss would be wrong, Tsukasa slowly drifted out of consciousness.

"Oh… good morning Kona-chan" Tsukasa greeted sleepily

"Good afternoon, you mean" Konata corrected

"Oh…? Good afternoon then…" Tsukasa greeted once more. Her eyes began to focus and she realized that their faces were mere centimeters from each other

"k-k-kona-chan…" Tsukasa's felt hot as she let go of Konata and struggled to sit up

"I'm sorry…" Tsukasa said

"Nah, don't worry. I kinda liked it." Konata reassured her "And you know what? That nap felt great"

Tsukasa smiled "Yeah. I love taking naps"

Konata smiled as well "I'm sure you do" Konata sat up and stretched

"Where do you think Onee-chan and Misa-chan are?" Tsukasa wondered

"HA! TAKE THAT!" They heard from downstairs

"They're probably down stairs playing video games" Konata said mischievously. "Hey, Tsukasa, I have an idea"

**LUCKY STAR**

The two had brought out the Play Station and were playing a shooter.

"Hey! We agreed not to use grenades!" said Kagami as her character got blown backwards by the explosives

"Sorry, my fingers pressed the wrong button!" Misao apologized

"Like hell they did!"

"OH GOD!" Misao screamed as their two characters found themselves face to face when they turned a corner.

Kagami's character moved back and dodged a knife swing by Misao's character. Kagami then flicked the analog stick and surged forward for a knife attack of her own. She knifed Misao's character and took the final kill

"HA! TAKE THAT!" Kagami yelled in victory.

"Hahaha! That was amazing!" Misao said in awe. "An awesome dodge, Kagami!"

"Well, I try" Kagami said in mock modesty "But I have to hand it to you, Misao, you've gotten better at this. With a little more practice, you might be able to beat me"

"Really?" This caused Misao to grin "Wow"

They suddenly heard footsteps upstairs.

"I think our sleeping couple upstairs is finally up" Kagami joked "Shall we check on them?"

"Heh" Misao chuckled "took the words right outta' my mouth"

They got up, turned off the game console and TV, and made for Kagami's room

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami and Misao approached the door but stopped when they heard the two inside talking.

"Kona-chan, are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure Kagami won't mind"

_What?_ Kagami put her ear to the door. Misao did likewise

"I don't think this is a good idea. We've never done this before…"

"Relax, Tsukasa. We'll be fine"

"Well… Okay… I trust you…"

Kagami and Misao looked at each other. _Are they about to do what I think they're about to do?_

"Tsukasa, stop covering it. Let me see"

"I'm sorry, it's just… embarrassing"

"Don't worry about it. I'm not gonna' judge you"

Kagami blushed. _That's it, I've heard enough._

Kagami burst through the door "And just what do you think you two are doing!?"

"We're doing some studying" Konata and Tsukasa were sitting at the table, apparently comparing answers to their homework.

Konata smirked "What did you THINK we were doing?"

"I-I-I…" Kagami was speechless

"We totally thought you two were having sex!" Misao said bluntly.

Tsukasa's face exploded into a blush. "W-whaaa!?"

Inori and Matsuri dashed in from the end of the hall

"What's this about having sex?" Matsuri asked

**LUCKY STAR**

The four had returned to studying. It had been at least two hours since the "sex" incident and Konata noted that it was almost time. Konata and Tsukasa stood up

"Alright. Kagamin, Misakichi, we're gonna be cooking dinner now." Konata said as they began to make their way to the kitchen

"Konata, I swear, if I got down there later and hear any sexual innuendo in any of your conversations, you will be sleeping outside" Kagami threatened

"Whoa there, tsunderella, don't you think that's a little harsh?" Konata reasoned

"Firstly, don't call me _tsunderella_. Second, do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to explain your little prank to my sisters?"

"Alright, jeez." Konata relented "Learn to lighten up, why don't you."

"Konata-" Kagami began but was cut off by Misao who suddenly placed her hand on Kagami's

Kagami glanced at Misao who shook her head slightly. _Don't say something you might regret._

Kagami grit her teeth and looked back to Konata "… Sorry… Anyway, hurry up. I want to have dinner on time tonight"

Konata smiled and gave an exaggerated bow "Anything for the sister of my beloved" She joked, before she closed the door behind her.

Kagami seemed to relax. "… Thanks Misao"

"Don't mention it." Misao told her "But jeez, Kagami, it was just a joke. Why'd you have to overreact like that?"

"I don't know…" Kagami sighed "… I don't know…"

Kagami slumped onto the table

Misao grew concerned. _Did I say something hurtful?_ "Hey now, you're being all mopey all of a sudden"

"It's nothing Misao…" Kagami reassured her "I just feel… tired… for some reason…"

_Yeah right. You were fine a few minutes ago… _"It's okay Kagami… you can tell me…" Misao said "I can take it…"

"… Konata…"

In a word, Misao understood. _Of course it's her…_ "It hurts to see those two sometimes doesn't it…?"

"… I'm sorry… I know you're my girlfriend and everything but… I just…"

"It's not your fault. You can't help how you feel." Misao comforted her. "But it's also isn't Konata's fault. I don't think she understands how much that prank hurt you…"

"We're a lot alike, aren't we?" Kagami said bitterly, tears forming in her eyes "We're both in love with people who won't return our love"

_She said it… Don't cry Misao. Keep it together…_

"I don't know what to do…"

_Give up on Konata. Please! Choose me! _"Just keep fighting. Only time will tell what will happen."

Kagami laughed, tears flowing down a river on her cheeks. "… Why is it that when I'm feeling emotional, you always seem so much smarter…?"

Misao chuckled "Like I said before, I have no idea. I'm literally pulling things out of my ass right now" She joked

"You have no idea what 'literally' means do you?" Kagami began drying her eyes.

"Nope" _At least she's not crying anymore…_

Kagami giggled "Somehow I'm not surprised"

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah… I guess"

"Can I have a thank-you-kiss?" Misao asked hopefully

"Not today, Kusakabe" Kagami deadpanned

"At least on the cheek?"

"Eh… why not I guess" Kagami kissed Misao's cheek. Misao's heart fluttered.

All the bitterness she had inside melted away with a single electrifying kiss._ You may not love me, but I love YOU. That won't change any time soon_. Misao thought as she gave a shivering squee as if she were overdosed on caffeine

Kagami giggled once more upon seeing Misao in a red faced spasm.

**LUCKY STAR**

The two in the kitchen were a well-oiled cooking machine, simultaneously working on two different dishes and at the same time, helping out the other with their own dish.

"Cuddling with you felt nice" Tsukasa said as she chopped meat into little pieces

"Really?" Konata diced an onion and put it on the frying pan. The oil on the pan and onions sizzled on contact "Well, I guess I AM pretty huggable" She joked

"I also liked that you decided to sit on my lap earlier" Tsukasa said. She then switched places with Konata in front of the stove and put the now-chopped meat into the pan, churning it about with a large spoon

"Hey Tsukasa" Konata chopped some garlic cloves and some chili "Do you like me?"

"What do you mean?" Tsukasa switched places with Konata so she could put the chopped garlic and chili. "I like you a lot. I always have"

"Compared to before I mean." Konata said and she stirred the cooking food "How do you like me now?"

"Hmm" Tsukasa seemed to think. She began cutting the vegetables "I guess I like you a lot more now. I think I might be in love with you" She said with uncertainty

"Oh…" With a blush, Konata moved aside.

"You know, I noticed something" Konata said as Tsukasa added the freshly chopped vegetables to the pan

"What is it?" Tsukasa asked

"Normally we're supposed to chop and prepare all of the ingredients BEFORE we start cooking." Konata stated as she began gathering the last ingredients "We're doing it WHILE we're cooking and somehow we seem to finish preparing them moment we need the ingredient"

"Oh?" Tsukasa added the last of the additions to the food "You're right. I only noticed now…"

"And when did we finish making the miso soup and rice?" Konata wondered "This is getting weird"

"… I don't remember… I think we started those at around the same time as the curry…"

"… Maybe we get some sort of super powers when we're cooking!" Konata said excitedly

Tsukasa smiled "I'll set the table. Could you call my sisters?"

"Right-o!" Konata gave a salute and dash upstairs

**LUCKY STAR**

The four Hiragiis and their two guests sat at the table for dinner

"This tastes amazing!" Misao yelled, mouth half full with food.

"I agree. Tsukasa, Konata, how were you able to make all of this so fast?" Kagami was just as impressed as Misao

"I don't know" Tsukasa said

"We have super powers when we cook together!" Konata exclaimed

"Right, the 'real super power of team work'" Kagami said dryly

Matsuri burped "Excuse me. Gotta hand it to you two, this is the best meal I've ever had"

"I agree" Inori concurred "You two could become gourmet chefs"

"Eh?" Konata didn't seem convinced

"Really?" Tsukasa beamed at her

Kagami smiled, seeing Tsukasa so happy.

They continued eating

**LUCKY STAR**

"Alright, I've got some movies we can watch" Konata said as she took three DVDs out from her bag

"Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica" Kagami read the title "Magical girls? Seriously, Konata?"

"I looks a bit too cutesy for my tastes" Misao said

"I'd like to watch it" Tsukasa said

"That's two to two." Konata noted. She turned to the older Hiragii sisters. "What about you girls?"

"I'm up for some magical girls." Matsuri grinned "Been a long time since I last watched anything like that anyway"

"Same" Inori agreed "Why not right?"

Konata giggled "Boy, are you in for a treat" She said as she put in the first disk

**LUCKY STAR**

**(A/N: Watch Madoka Magica. These reactions are just a few of many and you'll have a better time relating with them if you've already watched.)**

Upon reaching the end of the first movie, Tsukasa looked like she was about to break down, Kagami was pale as a corpse, Matsuri and Inori were clinging onto each other. Overall, majority of the people who watched looked to be scarred for life.

"Sayaka… s-s-she… she…" Tsukasa muttered as she hugged her legs.

"… I was not expecting any of that…" Kagami said, struggling to find her words

"That was not the kind of anime I liked watching as a kid" Matsuri said as she gripped at Inori even tighter

Surprisingly, Misao was affected the least. "That was awesome! Hurry up and put the next movie on" She asked Konata

"Why would you want to watch any more of that!?" Kagami asked in horror

"It ended in a cliff hanger. I want to know how it ends" was Misao's answer. "Who knows, it might end happily"

"I-" Kagami was taken aback at how reasonable her answer was. She was actually surprised that she didn't see it, considering how obvious it was. "I guess… I guess you're right…"

"Hey Tsukasa" Konata nudged Tsukasa

"Y-yeah?" Tsukasa said shakily

"Here" Konata handed her a glass of warm milk she had apparently prepared for her while the movie was playing.

Tsukasa took a long gulp "Ah… Thanks… I think I can watch the next movie… I hope it's a happy ending…"

Konata gave her a comforting smile before going up to the player.

Matsuri stood up "I don't think I can take more of this tonight." She walked out the room

"Yes. Me as well" Inori began to follow her sister out the room "But… If I may. I'd like to borrow those DVDs sometime."

Konata gave her a thumb up "Sure thing"

She switched the disks and pressed the play button

**LUCKY STAR**

By the time they finished the last movie, it was nearly midnight.

The four had taken baths and had changed into their pajamas. Well, not pajamas, per se but changed into their sleeping clothes, none the less.

Kagami and Tsukasa were wearing actual pajamas, while Misao wore a T-shirt and jogging pants, and Konata wore a just a tank top and her underwear.

"Konata, are you sure you're okay with sleeping like that?" Kagami asked

"Sleeping like what? On the floor?" Konata answered with another question

"No, I mean with… just that…" Kagami blushed slightly "Don't you have any other nightclothes?"

"Nope" Konata replied as-a-matter-of-factly

Kagami sighed and had the futons laid down in her room.

Futons were strewn across the floor haphazardly. With Konata and Tsukasa's in the very middle, lying perpendicular to each other and Misao's in the far end of the room, near the door.

"Jeez, guys. I told you to lay the futons on the floor, not toss them about and see where they land" Kagami scolded

"Well, Tsukasa laid hers in the middle and fell asleep quickly after" Konata noted as she poked Tsukasa's sleeping face

"Stop that Konata. Let her sleep" Kagami said sternly. "And what about you? You plan on using Tsukasa as a pillow or something?"

"Actually, I just threw it onto the ground without thinking" Konata said with a scratch of her head "Guess I'll fix it now"

Kagami sighed "What about you, Misao? You seriously gonna sleep by the door?"

"I tend to need to go to the bathroom a lot" Misao stated

"Alright, no need to elaborate" Kagami said dryly "Just turn off the lights"

Misao stood and turned off the lights "Night guys"

"Good night, Misakichi. Good night Kagamin." Konata chimed

"Good night Chibi. Good night Kagami" Misao bid as well

"Go. To. Sleep." Kagami said in exasperation

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata sat in a fetal position on the floor next to Tsukasa. Her head was down, her eyes were closed, her arms were wrapped around her legs, her hand was holding a cell phone, and her ears were covered by earphones, all the while, she was swaying gently and rhythmically.

Simply put, she was listening passionately to music on her phone. Why she would be doing that at six minutes past two in the morning requires a more complex explanation

Konata couldn't sleep – she's been having restless nights for weeks and tonight was no exception.

Most people would think it's because she's always up gaming so her body clock was set differently, but that was not the case. She felt the sleep claw at her, attempting to pull her into its embrace, but try as she might, she could not meet it – Try as she might, sleep would not come to her naturally. Only when fatigue had caught up to her would she finally lose consciousness.

There are a number of possible reasons for why that is the case, many of which Konata was pondering on as loud anime opening themes silently blasted her from her earphones. Her session of inner contemplation and max-volume music was halted however when Tsukasa began shifting in her sheets

Tsukasa suddenly awoke, eyes wide, breathing quick, and body trembling. It's safe to assume she woke up from a nightmare and was now panicking.

"Tsukasa?" Konata looked at her, worried. She responded with a wide-eyed stare that slowly began forming tears

"K-kona-chan…" Tsukasa managed before she began crying. "There was this car and… y-y-y-you…"

_This can't be good._ Konata hugged her "Shhh. There, there. I'm here Tsukasa. I'm fine. Everything's fine"

"Then that cat thing. It-it-it tried to-to-to"

_This is because of the movie I made her watch…_ Konata realized. With regret for her actions, she hugged tighter. "Oh, Tsukasa…"

"You… A witch… a-and Kagami…." Tsukasa failed to finish because began sobbing

"It was just a dream, Tsukasa. We're okay. You're home. You're in Kagami's room. I'm here with you. Kagami's here too. We're both fine. It was just a dream, a bad dream."

As Konata continued soothing her with calm words, Tsukasa's breathing slowed and she stopped shaking as violently.

"… It was scary…" Tsukasa said numbly

"It's over now, Tsukasa. You're fine. I'm fine. Everything is fine" Konata said.

_She's gonna have trouble falling back asleep_. Konata realized. _I need to think of something to help her_.

Konata flipped open her cell phone and began shifting through her music files. "Tsukasa, here" Konata offered her an ear phone

Tsukasa lifelessly accepted the ear phone.

The song, as is almost all her other songs, was from something she had watched. It was actually from a web series she had recently discovered while browsing the internet. Konata played the music. After a few seconds, she began singing gently.

_Don't you worry about the dark  
I will light up the night with the love in my heart  
I will burn like the sun  
I will keep you safe and warm  
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day  
I will be there to take all your fears away  
With a touch of my hand  
I will turn your life to gold_

It was a bit awkward as the lyrics were in English, but it was the only song on her phone that fit the situation. Either way, Konata sang just as passionately as she always would. Another verse and chorus past and she hit the bridge

_Don't worry, I've got you  
nothing will ever harm you  
I'm close by, I'll stay here  
through all things, I will be near  
Close your eyes  
don't you cry  
Love's around you  
in time, you'll fly_

After the final chorus, she finished off the song with as much feeling as she could muster. The last line ended and Konata's voice slowly faded into silence.

Tsukasa was breathing steadily, eyes closed. Konata smiled. _Well. That didn't take long._

She slowly eased Tsukasa back into her futon and then returned to her place next to her.

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao stood outside the door to Kagami's room, awestruck by how beautiful Konata's voice was.

_Kagami was right_. Misao thought. _She sounds like an angel…_

Misao hung her head. _How am I supposed to compete with that…?_

Misao moved to open the door, but right before she could do that, it slid open.

Misao and Konata jumped in surprised

"What the hell Misakichi!?" Konata said in a suppressed scream

"I could ask you the same thing" Misao replied in a loud whisper "How can you move around without making noise?"

"Back at you. I didn't even realize you weren't in the room"

"You had music blaring from those headphones when I left for the toilet" Misao told her. "And when I got back, you were singing"

"Oh… Well that explains a lot of things."

"Right…"

There was an awkward silence

"Hey, you want to go out for a run?" Misao asked Konata

Konata stared at Misao in confusion. A normal response of anyone asked from out of the blue, in the middle of the night, if they wanted to run

"What?" Konata blinked

"The air outside is cold and I've been feeling restless all day." Misao told her "I can't get to sleep so I might as well burn off some energy."

_I've got to say: I'm impressed at how much energy you have. _Konata thought._ I'm drowsy to the point of dropping. Why would I WANT to run…? Then again, even with that said, I STILL can't sleep. Maybe a little late-night run is just what I need._

"… Eh… sure. Why not" Konata agreed to run

"Well, you better go change, though" Misao said

"What do you mean?"

"Just a suggestion. If you want to go on a run in the dead of night wearing a tank top and panties, I'm not gonna stop you."

"… Right, forgot about that…" Konata sighed and went back into the room "I'll be right back"

**LUCKY STAR**

**Some things to point out:  
-Masaru Kusakabe is another OC. I pulled up a template for generic asshole and made him what he is. I don't think I'll be giving him any more screen time though  
-Madoka Magica is an anime I absolutely adore. It has faults, yes, but nevermind those faults. Everyone should watch the show for its color coded magical lesbians  
-The song I referenced is Gold by Casey Williams. It was made for the web series, RWBY by Rooster Teeth.**

**So majority of this was written in three sprints: one immediately after I uploaded chapter 4 two Sundays prior; another a few hours before I uploaded this today; another in the hours before dawn last Wednesday. The rest were done sporadically – a few lines every so often for the past seven days. If you think some parts are more detailed than others, that's because those were the parts that I wrote between midnight and six am last Wednesday.**

**If you're a little weirded out by that, let me put it into perspective. I have ideas in my head that I want to add to a chapter. What I do is select a number of them at random and write them. After which, I rearrange the order of events so they flow better – and maybe write some context for it make sense. Rinse repeat.**

**That said, I wanted to do SO MANY THINGS in this one day alone. I'm sort of disappointed that I wasn't able to put them all in one chapter… Then again, if I DID put them all in one chapter, it would probably be 12k words or something and I'd have been writing from midnight till dawn for three days…**

**Wow, this was a REALLY long winded end note.**

**Anyway, in the next chapter we will not be seeing Konata and Misao on their run in the dead of night but will be following Miyuki Takara in the events of her life that takes place on the same day.**

**Again, reviews are appreciated. I'd be very glad if you point out to me any typos, grammar mistakes, or plot holes you find.**

**Next chapter should come out in a week or so… probably… no promises…**


	6. Morning filler

**Lucky star has a boat load of characters and I try my best to give all of them some screen time. That said, I feel like Miyuki, Ayano, Minami, and Yutaka need some more scenes. Follow their day in this chapter**

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki Takara awoke to the sound of something tapping her window. It took a minute for her to come to her senses. The moment she did, she put on her glasses and looked at the wall clock.

_5:30 am_

Her short internal puzzlement of 'why am I awake at 5 in the morning?' was enlightened when she heard the tapping once more

_Whatever could that be?_ Miyuki slowly arose and made her way to the window and peeked through the curtains.

Minami Iwasaki stood in the courtyard, unmoving, like a statue.

Miyuki closed the curtains and walked to her wardrobe. She was going to change out of her pajamas into something a bit more casual.

Now you may be asking why Minami was up so early, and why Miyuki didn't ask herself this very question. In truth, that would be the very first thing she would do if she had not gone thought this exact situation before – which she, in fact, has. As for why Minami was up so early, well…

As with the last time this happened, Miyuki calmly walked out to the courtyard and greeted Minami

"Good morning, Minami. Shall we go for a stroll?"

Minami nodded and the two of them went out for a little walk through the neighborhood

Many times in the past, Minami would awake early in the morning, normally due to nightmares, and she would often go to Miyuki for comfort. While these nightmares became less and less frequent as the years went by until nightmares barely tormented her at all, Minami still occasionally goes to Miyuki for different reasons. Most recently, Minami had been coming to her for advice involving her relationship with a certain Yutaka Kobayakawa

"I'm still nervous around her…" Minami explained "Ever since… _that time_…"

Miyuki cringed a little at the mention of 'that time'.

A few days ago, Minami, in a moment of weakness, succumbed to her desires and kissed Yutaka during a date they were having at an ice cream parlor.

Now, Yutaka didn't mind it at all – in fact, she was overjoyed that her significant other opted to give her a physical and _visible_ show of affection. Minami, on the other hand was horrified.

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the little peck on the lips she gave her girlfriend –she was very much delighted in it. No, she was horrified by her own lack of self-control. This caused her to doubt herself in her self-imposed role of Yutaka's protector – to the point of actually considering whether or not she herself was a threat

Miyuki didn't know what to say to her. Minami would be convinced of anything if she were given enough facts. The problem was that there were almost no facts at all to tell her in her dilemma – something Miyuki was very distressed by

The only actual fact is that Minami kissed Yutaka on impulse and without consent. And with that information, Minami inferred that she could be a possible threat to Yutaka's safety if she didn't have more self-control. She had convinced herself that she would one day lose her grip again and do something horrible to Yutaka – something Miyuki thought was a ridiculous conclusion to jump to

Granted, there isn't really any evidence that she WOULD do anything bad, but then again, there isn't any proof that she wouldn't – which is exactly what Miyuki told her.

"Not the most reassuring kind of comfort, is it?" Miyuki noted Minami's increased anxiety. "But it is the truth. If you still don't trust yourself, I ask you this: Do you trust Yutaka?"

"Yes" Minami said without a moment's hesitation

"Then you should also trust yourself." Miyuki told her "Yutaka believes in you. And you believe in her. Isn't that enough?"

"…" Minami stared at the ground, debating with herself whether or not she herself should be trusted. After a few minutes of silent walking, she finally reached a conclusion "If Yutaka trusts me then I too must trust in myself"

Miyuki smiled, happy that Minami's problem was resolved.

The two had stopped walking at a park which they had frequented when they were little – with 'frequented' being a simplified term for 'had visited once or twice'.

Despite them, not going there often, the two had fond memories of being in that exact park at one point in their childhoods.

"This is where we became friends" Minami said, surprising Miyuki. She pointed to a sandbox "There…"

A torrent of memories flooded into Miyuki as she remembered just what happened in that sandbox.

It was one of the rare occasions that their mothers had elected to bring their daughters OUTSIDE. That morning, Minami had awoken from a rather vividly unpleasant dream. Minami tried to hide that fact, and she did it well. Honoka didn't see. Yukari didn't see. But Miyuki did. She saw that the mint haired girl was still traumatized by whatever she experienced in her sleep. She saw and she comforted her – in that very sandbox.

"We met each other before, but before then, we were just neighbor children who our parents forced into play dates." Miyuki noted "Now, we're practically sisters"

Minami smiled in her rare visible displays of emotion (sans Yutaka) "Yeah… I guess we are"

Miyuki eye-smiled and continued walking, looping into their previous path

The two returned to their houses, hopefully arriving before any of their mothers had woken up.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Akira, I made breakfast" Minoru said through the door "You decent?"

Akira Kogami was bedridden. She had gotten sick one Friday afternoon and had remained sick for the two weeks that followed. Her mother had gone on a trip and thus, she was left alone in her house while she was essentially incapacitated. Minoru took it on himself to care for Akira, mostly because he considers her a friend, but also, in part, because he's getting paid by Akira's mother to do so in her stead.

"_Just get the hell in here_" Akira ordered grouchily.

Minoru opened the door and entered, carrying a tray with breakfast.

Akira lay on her bed in a nightgown. Her salmon hair was messy and so was the rest of her.

Minoru helped Akira sit up, and set the tray on her lap

Akira eyed the food "_You call this breakfast?_" She asked in disgust

It was a bit of a letdown breakfast. Minoru had made a western breakfast, consisting of just buttered toast, bacon, and eggs. Granted, the toast was a perfect golden brown with an even coat of butter, the bacon was sizzling with a greatly satisfying aroma, and the eggs were cooked scrambled, just the way Akira liked it. As small of a breakfast as it was, she didn't have anything to complain about.

"Am I gonna have to force feed you?" Minoru threatened. "Because if you refuse to eat again, I swear, that is exactly what I'll do."

"_Yeah, yeah. I'll eat._" Akira took a slice and bit off large a mouthful.

After a few more bites, the toast was no more. She picked up the fork and began making stabs at the bacon. "You know… you didn't have to do this" She muttered

"What?" Minoru was in the middle of a thought but as abruptly pulled out by Akira's unintelligible whisper. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that"

"_I said you didn't have to do this_." Akira said irritably "_I can stand. It's not like this bed will try to eat me alive if I move_"

"The last time you tried to stand, you collapsed halfway to the bathroom" Minoru said dryly

"_Fine. Fine_" Akira conceded. She cut up the eggs with her fork and began eating again.

"_I'm done_" Akira said in a neutral way

Minoru raised an eyebrow. She had not eaten all of the food. There was a strip of bacon and at least a third of the eggs left. Minoru however, didn't question her.

"Here" He handed Akira a glass of water and dropped a tablet of medicine on her open palm. "Drink up"

Akira swallowed the medicine and chased it down with water.

Minoru took the glass and tray and proceeded to leave

"Thank you…" Akira said quietly

Minoru paused before the door "You're welcome" He walked out the room to the kitchen to wash the dishes

**LUCKY STAR**

Breakfast at the Takara residence was subdued. The usual lively chatter of the adults was a bit less pronounced that morning. Something both Miyuki and Minami noticed

"It seems Yutaka has been visiting you a lot lately" Honoka said cheerfully

"Oh she has?" Yukari noted "Interesting…"

The two daughters had noticed something about their mothers. When on the subject of Minami's relationship, Yukari seemed to be the most uncomfortable talking about it, doing her best to steer the conversation away from the topic, while Honoka was the opposite, bringing it up as often as she could.

Miyuki glanced at Minami. _This behavior is strange, don't you think?_

Minami glanced back and nodded

She looked at their parents and tilted her head slightly. _I don't understand_

Miyuki eye-smiled apologetically. _I don't either_

Their subdued breakfast continued

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano Minegishi was having breakfast with her sister.

It was a silent breakfast, as was the majority of activities the two took part in in for the past few days.

Ayano and her sister Akira had an argument three days prior. As Ayano was known to become somewhat scary (read, freakin' terrifying) when angered, and Akira was of similar temperament, their arguments tend to get a little… intense – this was no exception.

However, this would mark the first time the fall out of their arguments lasted longer than a day. This worried Ayano to a point.

_She still hasn't accepted that what she said was wrong_. Ayano thought as she swirled her ramen with her chopsticks. _I know what I said was hurtful, but if I say sorry now, she'll get even more pissed_.

The cause of most Minegishi family quarrels was differing opinions – the moment one popped up, an argument quickly followed. Words would be said, threats would be made, and after a few hours, actions would be regretted. In the end, the family would apologize to each other and the issue would resolve itself

This didn't happen. Instead, Akira remained adamant on her opinion and showed no indication of regretting what she had said.

_She wasn't so unyielding before_… Ayano noted. _Why is she still insisting her opinion is the right one?_

"Sister…" Ayano began

"Yes, Ayano?" Akira asked calmly

"Why do you think girls can't love girls?"

"… Why are you bringing that up now? We're eating" Akira asked in annoyance

"It's been three days since the argument, Sister. Why are you being so stubborn?"

"Because this ISN'T an opinion." Akira said with slow rising fury. "Homosexual relationships cannot produce offspring so girls literally can't love girls"

"You know as well as I do that your reason is bullshit" Ayano said, growing angry as well

"What gives you the right to say my reason's bullshit?" Akira snapped "It's not an opinion, it's a scientific FACT"

"What about emotion? Attraction? If two girls love each other, why can't they be together?"

"You seriously want to start this argument again!? First thing in the moring!?"

"Misao is my friend. Kagami is my friend. I will not stand by while you insult their relationship"

"Oh, you mean the relationship where the love isn't even mutual? Don't make me laugh. That Hiragii girl? She's using your precious little Misa-chan as an excuse you ignore her feelings. She wants to forget the person she's in love with, so she threw herself out there. It just happened to be that Kusakabe was the one to catch her"

Ayano stood up. Akira stood as well. They were both just about ready for violence at that point; it was only a matter of who struck first.

The two stared each other down. As the seconds passed, the air in the room grew more and more tense, as if an explosion was set to go off at any moment – which would not be far from the truth.

Neither was willing to back down, but neither wanted it to come to blows. They had both reached an impasse with each other AND themselves.

In the end Akira just sighed. "I'm done with breakfast. Thank you for the food" She took her bowl and put it in the sink before stalking out of the room

Ayano sighed as well and abruptly collapsed into her chair.

"There's a deeper reason as to why Akira doesn't like that they're together…" Ayano thought "I KNOW there is…"

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki stood at a balcony in Minami's estate, polishing her glasses. She had been rubbing the same lens with the glasses cloth since twenty minutes ago.

To most people, it would seem that Miyuki was so deep in thought that she no longer knows what she was doing outside her inner contemplation. That's only half true.

While Miyuki WAS deep in thought, her thoughts weren't focused and wandered anywhere and everywhere. Simply put, she was spacing out.

"Miyuki, do you know where I left the TV remote?" A call from Yukari snapped Miyuki out of her daze.

"…Oh dear. It seems I was day dreaming…" Miyuki said to no one in particular. "What did mother call about?"

"Yukari, the remote's over there" Miyuki heard Honoka say

"Never mind, Miyuki, the TV remote was on the table all along" Yukari called out from downstairs once more

"Don't watch for too long, Mother"

"Awww. Okay then"

"Don't worry, Miyuki. I'll get her to stop after a few hours" Honoka said

Miyuki smiled to herself.

She began polishing the other lens of her glasses. Suffice it to say, she would space out more than once that morning.

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano, Misao, and Masaru were walking the town that morning. The girls were window shopping while Masaru followed them.

"Why am I here again?" Masaru asked, bored out of his mind

"Because, dear, you WANT to be here" Ayano said cheerfully

"Er… Yeah… Exactly…" Masaru said nervously

Misao giggled.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hello Minami" Yutaka Kobayakawa greeted cheerfully.

Minami had left an open invitation to Yutaka to visit any day during the summer. Yutaka took full advantage of it and came to Minami's house as often as she could.

"Hello, Yutaka" Minami said monotonously

Minami felt uneasy. Yes, she had resolved herself to have as much self-trust as Yutaka trusted her, but that didn't mean she completely eradicated her anxiety – no, her anxiety was very much still there, just in a different form.

Not that Minami showed it. She kept it in and almost no one could sense what she was feeling – almost

There were two exceptions: Miyuki, who had built enough of a connection with her to be able to guess, and Yutaka, who seemed to be able to tell what she was feeling the moment they met

"Are you okay Minami?" Yutaka asked with concern "You seem nervous"

She could read Minami like a book (not that she understood what she was reading)

"I'm fine." Minami assured her. She let Yutaka in and then shut the door. "What would you like to do today?"

"I'm okay with anything you want to do" Yutaka said happily

Minami twitched imperceptibly. _No you wouldn't_. "I don't really have anything in mind"

"Are you sure you're alright, Minami?" Yutaka asked with a furrowed brow.

_She's cute when she's worried. Oh I could just-_ Minami panicked internally. She had been in Yutaka's company for not even a minute and already her self-control was wavering. _Get a hold of yourself. Yutaka trusts you and you MUST NOT betray it._

"Yes. I'm fine" Minami said, barely audible. "I'm just a little on edge today…"

Minami took a gamble at giving her a half truth.

Technically, she was lying to her, thus, was ALREADY betraying Yutaka's trust, but that particular detail didn't present itself to Minami because all her thought processes had gone to alleviating Yutaka's anxiety over her

"Then why are you on edge?" Yutaka asked in worry "Tell me what's bothering you"

"I'm okay, Yutaka. Really" Minami insisted with not much conviction

Unsurprisingly, Yutaka wasn't convinced "Please tell me what's wrong. You trust me right?" Yutaka pleaded, on the verge of tears

Minami's train of thought was thrown out the window. "I…" _I'm being stupid. I told Miyuki that I trusted Yutaka but here I am doing the exact opposite. Stupid!_

After a moment of mentally beating herself up, Minami sighed. "I trust you… and sorry…"

"What's wrong, Minami" Yutaka asked again

"… I'm scared… Scared about what I'd do to you… if I lost my self-control" Minami said "I feel like I'm a threat to you"

Yutaka blinked "I that it?"

Minami just stared at her. She was not expecting a reaction like that. Confusion, disgust, anger, sympathy – she expected all that and much more. But she did not expect to get a mix of relief and disappointment.

"What?"

"You were being weird for days now so I was really worried that I did something wrong." Yutaka explained "I thought you were nervous because you wanted to end our relationship"

"I…" Minami was at a loss for words "you haven't done anything wrong"

"And you're not a threat" Yutaka told her. "Whatever you do, I'd be fine with"

Minami was taken aback. "Yutaka, I don't think you understand…" She began

"Anything…" Yutaka smiled shyly. "… As long as it's you…"

Again, Minami was speechless. There she was worrying about what Yutaka would think of her if she knew what Minami wanted to do to her, when Yutaka didn't care. She trusted Minami so much. It was enough to move the mint haired girl to tears

"I…" Minami began but was cut off as Yutaka abruptly pulled Minami's face down and pressed her lips against hers

It was wet. It was soft. It was electrifying. It was a blend of sensations and emotions that made Minami's heart pound. When Yutaka pulled away slowly, the euphoria didn't end, so Minami just stood there with heavy breathing, elevated heart rate, and teary eyes, staring in awe at Yutaka.

_And Yutaka gave that to me_. Minami realized as tears kept flowing. _She actually WANTED to kiss_…

"Wow…" After a few seconds, the childlike girl began jumping giddily "That felt wonderful!"

_I was worrying about my own desires but didn't once think of Yutaka's…_ Minami thought with a bitter smile.

Minami collapsed onto her knees "Thank you…" Minami said meekly

"Ah! Are you alright?" Yutaka asked in surprise

"Don't worry, I'll be fine" Minami managed to stand up "Thanks"

Yutaka beamed and pulled Minami into a hug "You're welcome"

"That was beautiful!" A compliment came from Honoka Iwasaki who was leaning on the doorway to the living room, accompanied by Yukari Takara.

The couple simultaneously exploded into a blush, realizing that all of what just transpired had happened in the middle of the entrance hall, a few feet from the door.

"That was a rather… sweet scene" Yukari noted with an edge of coldness to her voice that was subtle but very much unsettling.

In stark contrast, Honoka "Yes, very cute" She chimed

The pair of blushing highschoolers gave embarrassed greetings to the two adults before briskly walking past them up the stairs to Minami's room

"Do you think we killed the mood?" Honoka asked, more because of curiosity than of concern

"Yes, but I think it was for the best" Yukari said. "I'd rather they have… intimacy… where I can't see them"

"The two of them alone in a room" Honoka giggled "Intimacy indeed"

**LUCKY STAR**

As the red-faced couple hurried down the hall, they noticed a door leading to a balcony was open.

They peered in and saw Miyuki standing there, looking at the sky.

"Hello Miyuki" Yutaka greeted. Miyuki didn't respond.

Minami sighed. She walked next to Miyuki and took the glasses she was polishing.

Miyuki blinked. "Oh, Minami, when did you get here?"

Minami stared at her

"Oh dear. I was spacing out again wasn't I?"

Minami nodded

"Oh dear…"

Neither Minami nor Yutaka were surprised by this. When left on her own with nothing to do, Miyuki tended to let her mind wander – something the Yutaka had seen numerous times during her visits

"Would you like to hang out with us?" Yutaka invited

"Wouldn't I be a bother?"

"We don't really have anything to do." Minami said "A bit more company wouldn't be bad"

"Well, thank you" Miyuki gladly accepted the invitation

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano had decided to show some mercy to Masaru and told him to just meet her at the plaza in the center of town at lunch.

Masaru, starting to wonder whether window shopping boredom would be an acceptable cause of death, was relieved to hear that he did not need to follow the girls around anymore. The moment he got his freedom, Masaru bolted.

"You sure it's a good idea to let him leave like that?" Misao asked as she watched her bother disappear into the crowd

"Don't worry, Misa-chan, if he knows what's good for him, he'll show up at lunch." Ayano reassured her

"Like I said before, I think you're the reason your relationship is strained" Misao joked

"I don't know what you're talking about"

**LUCKY STAR**

"Yoohoo, anyone home!?" Yui Narumi called out

Her entrance to the Izumi residence was met with little resistance. In fact, aside from the locked front door, her entrance wasn't met with anything – the house was empty.

Yui slumped onto the couch.

"Just when I get a day off, they all go out somewhere" Yui pouted "I wish my Husband was here. He would make my day better…"

Her bitter complaining was stopped when she heard the telephone ring

[Hello. Izumi residence, Yui Narumi speaking.]

[Hey, Yui nee-san]

[Konata? Where are you guys? I got to your house to hang out but there wasn't anyone here]

[Heh, sorry. We forgot to tell you about today. Dad's out job hunting again and Yu-chan's at Minami's]

[What about you?]

[I'm at work. I'll be going to Kagami's this afternoon]

[So you're saying I have no one to hang out with all day?]

[Er… Well, you could always go hang with Ms. Kuroi. I'm pretty sure she's free.]

[Nanako?]

[Yeah. She never has any plans so…]

[Hey, that's not nice!]

[Not nice but it's true. Well, I was just calling to find out whether Yutaka's left already. Looks like that's the case, so bye]

[Wait, can't we talk some more?]

_\- Click -_

Yui sighed "Well looks like this is gonna be another day where I watch movies for eight hours alone in my apartment…"

Yui stalked out of the house and drove back home in a manner completely unfitting her profession as a traffic cop. (i.e. she drove like a speed demon with a no reluctance to break any and all traffic laws for the sake of an adrenaline high.)

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki moved her bishop so that it was in line with Minami's king "Check"

The two had decided to play chess because Yutaka suddenly asked who was better at sports. Since the two didn't exactly have a preferred sport, nor were they willing to play any such sport on an unpleasantly warm and sunny day as it were, they decided to use board/card games instead. It just happened that chess was the game chosen.

Minami moved a pawn to block the bishop's path and at the same time, opened up a path for her own bishop for a possible check in the next turn

The two stared at each other, trying to read the other's strategy.

Minami and Miyuki had been playing these kinds of games for years. They've studied the other's techniques and strategies to the point that they were practically their own.

The two maneuvered their pieces in quick succession, both knowing exactly how the other would react. Turn after turn, an attack was made and was met with a counter immediately after. Eventually, after a number of turns passed, the two had reached a stalemate. Neither had a good counter for any of the other's possible moves and both had no idea how the other would react. It took them only five minutes to get to that point.

Yutaka had been watching the game intently, clearly enthralled by the two. _When I had asked who was better at sports I didn't think they'd turn it into a competition._

The two alternated between staring at the board and staring at each other. They had no idea what to do, and from the looks of it, would not have one any time soon.

Several minutes passed

This may take some time…

**LUCKY STAR**

"Well… he's not here. Too bad" Misao said "Let's eat, I'm starving"

It was already eleven that day and Masaru still had not arrived.

Ayano looked at Misao "No, Misa-chan. We wait for Masaru-kun" She said sternly

"He could always catch up to us. Just text him and-"

"No, Misao"

"C'mon, Ayano, be reasonable"

"No"

"C'moooon. Can we at least wait over by that tree – maybe buy some food from that stand as well?"

"Misao"

"Ayano, its hot and I'm hungry, cut me some slack"

Ayano sighed "Fine, well wait for him in the shade of that tree. Go buy your food"

"Right-o!" Misao saluted before she dashed for the stand

Ayano looked at her phone. _11:30, no messages. What is he up to…?_

**LUCKY STAR**

Yui walked out of the video rental store with three DVDs.

Konata had been pestering her to watch a certain anime in her last visit. That particular detail came back to Yui when she began browsing the shelves and she found herself in the anime aisle.

Thinking 'Hey, why not?' she scanned the shelf for the particular title and rented it.

_I wonder why Konata wanted me to watch this… Mahou Shojou Madoka Magica…_ Yui thought as she walked back to the place where she parked her car. _It looks a bit cutesy but I think I'd be okay with it_

While Yui was busy contemplating her rental, a boy ran across the street and crashed into her. Not only did the two collide, but several cars ended up bumping into each other. Thankfully, no damage was done to any property or people other than a slight scratch of some of the cars' paint. Even still, it was quite a scene.

"I guess this is why jaywalking is illegal…" Yui struggled to get up. She looked to the boy "Hey, kid, you alright?"

The boy looked a bit dazed but answered "I think so…"

Yui looked at the boy's vaguely familiar face. "Hey, I know you." Recognition dawned on Yui's face. The boy was Masaru Kusakabe.

"YOU!" Yui yelled.

Masaru blinked away his dizziness and recognized Yui "Y-you!"

"Alright, you're coming with me." Yui took out a pair of handcuffs "That's the third time this month and I'm getting sick of giving you warnings"

"No, you don't understand. These thugs, they were-" Masaru began explaining quickly but was cut off

"Well, well, well" Three large men had crossed the road and were now looking down on the pair on the ground "Finally caught up to you"

Yui stood and faced the men "Can I help you gentlemen with anything?"

"I'm sorry miss. We just have a little business with the fellow lying on the pavement there" One of the men said

"Well I have some _business_ with him as well." Yui said calmly "Perhaps you could let us finish."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that." The man replied

"Yeah, we have a little debt to pay, hehe" another of the men chuckled

"Might I ask what you owe him…?"

Masaru had stood up by that point and was slowly backing away

"No can do ma'am." The first man moved forward in an attempt to grab Masaru.

Masaru bolted, only to be pull back by his wrist which has apparently already been cuffed.

Yui kept Masaru from running and pushed the man away from him "Kusakabe, what did you do…?" Yui asked coolly

"I didn't do nothing"

"You were being an asshole was what you did" The third man finally spoke "Miss, this boy gravely disrespected us. We wish for justice"

"I'm sorry boys, but justice is already served" Yui pulled out her badge

"Er…"

"This kid caused a bit of scene here." She gestured to the cars that were stopped on the road and the people gathered around them "I'm assuming you were going to beat him up. If what I think is correct, you three are partially responsible for this"

"Erm… no. What you understand is not correct." The first man said

"Yeah, we wanted him to… apologize… yeah. We wanted him to apologize. He didn't want to so he ran away"

Yui smiled "Is that so?" She looked to Masaru "Well? Apologize"

"… Sorry" Masaru said, not really sounding sorry at all

"There. Now that that's done, I'll be taking him to the station"

The men looked at Masaru darkly, probably contemplating whether they were willing to let him go. All the while, Masaru was struggling to break the cuffs

"Kusakabe, if you want to get out of this with no injury, I suggest you let me finish negotiations" Yui whispered.

"Ma'am, thank you for your help" The third man said with a controlled voice. "I hope he doesn't trouble you again"

"I hope not too" _Meaning, you hope I won't be with him again when you next come for him_. Despite her ill thoughts toward the three, she smile and bid them farewell.

As the three walked into the now dispersing crowd, Yui pulled Masaru close "What the hell was that all about?"

"I didn't do nothing!"

"Kid, you just caused a lot of trouble for the traffic cop for this particular area. Unless you want me to tell her about you, I suggest you start talking"

"Okay okay! Sorry" Masaru said quickly "Look. I bumped into him, he sorta got mad, told me to say sorry, and I didn't"

"I don't think that was all of it"

"Okay, so I also maybe insulted him a bit."

"Wow you are the most disrespectful kid I've ever seen." Yui noted "Well, I'm gonna take you to the station now"

"What!? Why!?"

Yui looked at him "What do you think…?"

"… Right…"

**LUCKY STAR**

"That was quite a match" Miyuki said cheerfully

Minami had won, albeit by a small margin.

Half an hour into the game, both had a pawn and the king as their last pieces. As it were, Minami's pawn was one square closer to the other end of the board than Miyuki's. In accordance to the rules of chess, Minami was able to swap her pawn for a queen. At that point, Miyuki was finally able to read what Minami was going to do and found that nothing she did would help her, so she conceded, giving the victory to Minami.

"Minami that was amazing!" Yutaka gushed

"Yes, a very impressive performance" Miyuki agreed

Minami stared at the two of them and nodded slightly

"Oh, no need to be modest. You beat me fair and square" Miyuki told her. She giggled quietly. _She's embarrassed. How cute._

"Minami I like how you were all serious right before the end and then suddenly you looked really happy" Yutaka said, reminiscing the twenty minutes of staring followed by the finale of their game.

Technically, Minami DID transition from serious to happy but her face showed no change in emotion… to the casual observer at least.

Minami doesn't like talking and uses words only when necessary. People who are close to Minami learn to read the cues of her body language and the subtle changes of her face. The same is true in reverse, as Minami will also learn to read those who can read her.

_And she's one of them. Yutaka can read her._ Miyuki noted. _But she still can't see that her praise makes Minami even more embarrassed_

"I knew you were going to win" Yutaka said "That face you made told me"

Minami blushed. "I was able to figure out Miyuki-nee-san's strategy late in the game"

"Yes, I could tell." Miyuki said. _Well this is surprising. She's stating something Yutaka has probably already figured out. I never knew her to restate what seems to be established already._

But as Miyuki looked at the two and saw Minami's smile – something Miyuki had seen only once in all their time together – Miyuki realized just how close the two were. _To think she'd only met Minami this year and already, she's closer to her than I ever was. Minami is able to show her emotions to her_. The realization hit her hard.

_Was I doing something wrong or is it something else?_ Miyuki wondered, and the longer she thought, the more that answer became clear – so clear that she had to be blind not to see it. _Of course! They're in love. It's so obvious I'm a bit embarrassed…_

"Miyuki-san?" Yutaka snapped her out of her reflection

"Er… yes?"

"What was so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. I just had an epiphany, that's all"

Yutaka looked at Miyuki and then back at Minami. _What?_

Minami blushed and looked away.

Miyuki smiled. _Looks like she understood what I meant._

**LUCKY STAR**

"Well looks like my brother's not showing up." Misao said bluntly "I've gotta be at Kagami's by one so I guess I'll see ya"

As Misao walked away, Ayano kept at her phone, checking to see if Masaru left any messages. Seeing that there weren't any messages and will very likely not have any, Ayano decided to call him.

[Hello?]

[This is Ayano Minegishi. Who are you and what are you doing with my boyfriend's cellphone?]

[Yikes. Right, well, I'm Yui Narumi. I'm a cop and your boyfriend sorta caused a little traffic accident and got himself arrested. We –]

– Click –

Ayano sprang into action the moment she heard the word "cop". _What has he gotten into now?_

**LUCKY STAR**

**Some things to note:  
-Apparently I misspelled Hiiragi as Hiragii. To be honest, I don't think it makes much difference. Either way it's still read as Hih-ra-gi (I watched the dub and that's how it's said. I'm not really sure if it's the same in the original Jap version)  
-The two OCs, the siblings of Ayano and Misao get some character development in this chapter because why the hell not?  
-Yukari and Honoka often eat at each other's houses for the sake of companionship.  
-I'm cutting this chapter in half. One because so much happens that It's hard for me two keep writing about it. I had that same problem some months ago (I also realize that nearly every chapter before this each have the content of one day)**

**A little update:  
While most of the northern hemisphere is entering their summer break, we in the Philippines are ending ours. My classes have unfortunately started already and so my terrifying life as a college student begins. Hooray!?**

**That said, expect the future chapters to be shorter, else, come out later. I'm leaning more towards shorter chapters since I write in sprints. Good luck to me I guess?**


	7. Afternoon filler

**Hello there. The last two chapters focused on two unconnected events – namely the sleep over at the Hiragii household, and the morning of Yui, Ayano, Miyuki, Minami, and Yutaka. This chapter will lead up to the part that will make them connected. Or will it? (TBH, I'm not sure. I've got the general idea for what I want but not the details, so… hahaha?)**

**Karsten69  
I did not know that. It seems sorta nit-picky, but I feel really bad about it now. I'm still gonna keep on using "Hiragii" because: One it's for consistency's sake; Two, I'm lazy and don't want to go editing the entirety of this fic wherever there are instances of the name. Thank you for the info and thank you for the praise.**

**So what will happen in this chapter? Well, a lot of things. Perhaps I should have split the Minami/Miyuki segments from Ayano's? Or maybe I should have taken the events of chapter 5 and merged them with the next few chapters? I don't know… screw it?**

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori Tamura sat at a table in a cosplay café in Akihabara – namely, the cosplay café what Konata and Patricia worked at. She sat there with half a glass of iced tea and a pile of crumpled paper as she scribbled furiously on her sketchpad.

Hiyori was having a bad time. She's had a drawing block for the past week and has not been able to draw anything at all. Her original idea when she went to the cosplay café was to get inspiration from the comfortable atmosphere she felt there. Unfortunately, she did not.

"Oh Hiyori-chaaan~" Patricia chimed "Whatcha' doin'" Patricia and Konata's shift had just ended and Patricia decided to have a little talk with Hiyori before she left

"I'm trying to draw something but I can't picture it in my head…" Hiyori glared at the blank page in front of her, as if a death stare would make the paper magically print a picture onto itself.

"What are you trying to draw anyway?"

"Er…" Hiyori was a little hesitant to tell her. _I'm trying to draw not-Minami and not-Yutaka kissing but I can't bring myself to actually imagine the kiss… But I'm not about to tell Patty-chan that_… "I'm drawing a kissing scene"

"So you're trying to recreate the kiss Minami and Yutaka had in that ice cream parlor?" Patty asked.

Hiyori didn't know what she was talking about but her words immediately brought an image to Hiyori's mind. _It's beautiful_. The thought of it brought an ache to her heart, a tear to her eye, and a bleed to her nose.

"Konata, we've got a blood spill on table nine!" Patty called as she tried to help Hiyori block the river of red bodily fluid flowing from her nose

"She already left." A girl cosplaying as Yuki Nagato from _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ said in a pretty much emotionless tone.

"_God damn it!_" Patricia cursed in English. She began shaking Hiyori. "Come to your senses woman! Stop picturing them kissing!"

Hiyori made no response

Patricia sighed and looked at the only other employee there. "Well don't just stand there, hurry up and get a mop! If the boss sees this mess, he's gonna kill us!"

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano sighed "Tell me again. WHY DID YOU INSULT THREE SIX FOOT TALL MUSCULAR MEN?" She scolded Masaru. "Are you an idiot? You could have gotten hurt! And then there's that traffic accident. I swear!" Ayano had cut off Yui and Masaru on their way to the station and literally begged Yui to release Masaru. Upon the release of her boyfriend, Ayano began to yell at him. "And to top it all off, you made me miss lunch!"

"Relax! I'll buy you something!" Masaru said in a panicked tone. Ayano's mood was bad and he did not want it get any worse. "Do you want anything in particular?"

Ayano sighed "Not really. I'm just hungry…"

"You had a date with your girl and you pulled this stunt? What's wrong with you!?" Yui slapped the back of the boy's head "You should treasure the time you have with your partner because there may come a time where… he'll never… be there… anymore" She said, her voice growing sadder and sadder. Yui shook her head. After she regained her composure, she smacked Masaru again

"Ow! I said was sorry, jeez."

**LUCKY STAR**

It was a rather late lunch at the Takara household and Miyuki, Minami, and Yutaka were sitting at the table with Yukari while Honoka was in the kitchen to bring the food. It was more than a little awkward for the three of them – Yukari was trying her hardest not to look at the lovely couple, Minami seemed to be trying to dissolve with her chair so as to not feel the tension in the air, Miyuki was analyzing the situation and thinking of a way to ease it, while Yutaka let her mind wander, completely oblivious to the electric sensation in the air.

Sort of. Yutaka could actually feel Minami's nervousness and was holding her hand under the table to comfort her. It also helped the she was exuding an aura of calm in the otherwise anxious atmosphere of the room – which can be somewhat attributed to her lack of context to the situation.

"Well…" Miyuki began "How was your morning mother?"

"It… It was fine" Yukari faltered. In truth, she didn't think it was fine at all. She had witnessed something rather unpleasant. "It was eventful to say the least"

Minami blushed as she knew what she was talking about – something Miyuki noticed. She decided not to further the topic lest Minami get any more flustered

"Here's the food" Honoka said cheerfully as she put down a large tray with a whole smoked salmon.

"Oh wow!" Yutaka was thoroughly amazed at the delicious looking fish. Minami and Miyuki also felt awe but in a far lesser extent. It was not every day that they ate food like that

After a few minutes of silent eating Honoka perked up "Miyuki, I saw something quite wonderful earlier"

Minami and Yutaka stiffened. Minami glanced at Miyuki with worry. _Please don't ask about it._

Miyuki got the message. "I'm sure you did, Ms. Iwasaki"

Honoka was, however, unfazed by Miyuki's uninterested tone. "Our two little love birds shared a rather passionate kiss earlier"

All three kids blushed. "Um… I don't… I'm not sure how to react…" Miyuki said awkwardly

If she could tell that everyone at the table was uncomfortable with the topic, she didn't care. "I'm so proud. I always knew high school would be the time when Minami bloomed"

Minami, though flustered, was hit by that statement. "… Bloom…" She looked down and her expression visibly grew sour "… yeah…"

Yutaka squeezed Minami's hand. When Minami glanced at Yutaka, she saw a smile that said: _Don't worry. I'll like your chest either way._

Minami became even more embarrassed. _She knew… _She thought to herself.

Yukari stoop up "I'm done. Thank for the food." Her food wasn't even finished. There was still half a slice of salmon on her plate. But that didn't stop her from taking her plate of food to the kitchen

Knowing quite well that her mother did not like the subject of Minami's relationship, Miyuki wondered why Honoka kept bringing it up. She glanced at Minami and Yutaka, who were also silenced by her mother's exit. _What IS the reason they're acting like that?_

_Don't ask me. I don't know either._ Minami stood up. "I'm done as well. Thank you for the food" Yutaka stood and followed. They past Yukari on the way – it was as if she was pretending they didn't exist as she didn't even look at them.

Miyuki watched her mother walk out the dining room. She wasn't the only one watching as Honoka was also looking at Yukari and when Miyuki glanced at her, she gave a sad smile. "I'm afraid I've lost my appetite. I suppose I'm done now as well. Thanks for the food"

Honoka brought the plate to the kitchen, passing Minami and Yutaka. "We'll be up stairs" Yutaka said, noticeably more subdued than she normally was. "See you later, Miyuki"

And so, Miyuki was left alone in the dining room with the half eaten salmon. _Oh dear. That was not a turn I wished this day would take…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"_I was stupid… So stupid…"_

The screen depicted a short haired bluenette girl grow limp as a large black object materialized above her.

So the couple and the cop, namely, Ayano, Masaru, and Yui had ended up watching movies at Yui's house. The movies were the ones Yui had rented earlier – Mahou Shojou Madoka Magica, a magical girl anime that Konata had practically demanded that she watch.

"That was fu-… that was messed up…" Masaru said as the end credits rolled.

"Yeah… no kidding" Yui agreed, visibly disturbed by what she just watched

"Let's watch the next movie" Ayano said, not at all fazed by the movie.

"Of course the psycho wants more…" Masaru muttered under his breath

"What was that dear" Ayano asked with her terrifying yandere smile.

"Er, nothing. Yeah, let's watch the next one. I sorta want to know how the next movie plays out."

"Alright, sure. Let's do thi-" Yui's enthusiastic agreement was cut off by her cellphone vibrating. She picked it up and accepted the call. "Hello? … Honey? … Really!? … That's wonderful! … Yeah! … Okay!"

Masaru and Ayano had no idea who it was but Yui was getting more and more giddy.

"Alright guys, change of plans. You two take the movies and go watch it somewhere else." Yui said

"What? Are you freakin' joking?" Masaru asked in outrage "You're the one who invited us, now you're kicking us out?"

"I'm sorry, but my husband's coming later and I need to get ready." Yui told them. "If that's not enough info for you, you're out of luck because I'm not giving you more than that" Yui said as she put the bag of DVDs in Masaru's hands and began pushing the couple to the door.

"Have fun with your husband. When do we have to return these to you?" Ayano said as she began putting on her shoes

"Any time this week, and thanks, I will."

And so, the two found themselves outside of the Narumi household holding a shopping bag with three movies in them. _Well…_

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori was in a daze. She remembered blood, a train, and the feeling of being dragged somewhere. "Where am I"

"Oh, you're at home" Patty said. "Took fucking forever, but I got you here."

Hiyori looked around a bit more as things began to come back into focus, or as much into focus it could, what with her glasses being who knows where. Hiyori could vaguely make out the details to determine that she was in fact at home in her room. _How did I get here again?_

"Here" Patty began poking her face with something. "C'mon take it… fine, I'll put it on for you." Patty had been poking her with her glasses and was now trying to put it on her. After a few seconds of fumbling she finally got them one. "There… You know, cute as you are, you really do look better with your glasses on" she said with an impressed smile

Hiyori blushed (for a number of reasons). Aside from the fact that her appearance was rarely complimented on, Hiyori's face was ridiculously close to Patty's. Yes, their faces were near for less than a second before Patricia pulled away but that was enough to fluster Hiyori immensely (although her tendency to overreact to things may have amplified the reaction).

"So, that's the third nose bleed that caused you to pass out" Patty noted. As with the other times, it involved Minami and Yutaka. Patricia noted the trend, but was curious whether it's because of those two in particular, or because she was seeing something yuri in real life. Patty decided she wants to find out. "Why DO you fuss over Minami and Yutaka so much?"

"Er…" Hiyori was surprised. _Well THAT came from nowhere. I'm not exactly sure how to answer_. "Well… You've seen them right? How can you not, right?" _That was a good answer, Hiyori – very well thought-out…._

"Well, yeah, I get it, but what is it about them in particular?"

Hiyori pursed her lips, bringing her hand to her mouth. _I don't really know… I guess I didn't really think about it… although…_ "Eh… I guess it's because they practically embody the essence of stuff from the shoujo ai that I read."

"So is it just because they're yuri that you gush over them?"

"Um… yes?" _Where is Patty-chan going with this?_

"Perfect! Because I've been feeling a bit Bi-curious lately and I'd really like to be with you." Patricia said cheerfully

"… What?"

Patricia went from happy to slightly annoyed. "Must I spell it out for you? Bi-curious. I want to know what it's like with a girl" no response. Now she was very annoyed. "You know, experience what it's like to be in a lesbian relationship?" still nothing. "_Oh for fuck's sake,_ maybe this will make you understand!" Patricia pressed her lips to Hiyori's and practically sucked all the air from her lungs.

Hiyori's mind was racing. For one, she understood Patty's statement the first time and the reason she didn't respond to it (and all other subsequent statements) was because she had no idea how to react. So many questions had popped into Hiyori's head, and despite the fact that many of them could answer themselves, she was experiencing a bit of an overload. It was made worse by the kiss and the mess of sensations and emotions that was brought with it. To top it off, that was her first kiss. To say it was 'too much' for Hiyori was an understatement.

"Wow, that was a lot less different than I expected." Patty noted

"P-p-p-p-patricia, why did you – and I – just…" Hiyori stammered

"Oh, relax, it's not like you didn't enjoy it" Patty brushed her off as she began packing her bag "Besides, you can use the for inspiration for you works"

"b-b-b-but…"

Patricia winked at her. "If you want more come talk to me." With that she walked out the door. As her footsteps receded, Hiyori couldn't help but bring her hand to her mouth. She licked her lips. _Strawberries…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Ms. Akira, it's already two. If you're gonna lock yourself in there, at least take the food tray in. Please?" Minoru had cooked her lunch nearly an hour ago and the food was already cold. "You were fine this morning. What happened?"

"_Go away_" Akira shouted shakily

"Ms. Akira, seriously, you need to eat. You won't get better if you don't" Minoru was at a loss for words. Despite his constant and somewhat one-sided arguing with her, he just couldn't get her to open the door. _I just had to lose it._ Minoru would otherwise open the door regardless of Akira's lock if it were not for the fact that he misplaced the key he was given when Akira was entrusted into his care.

"Ms. Akira, please. I don't want you going hungry…"

"Leave me alone…"

Minoru noticed a certain shift in her voice. _It's almost like she'd been holding back tears for a while now and they only just started flowing…_ That was it for Minoru. Whatever it was that made her cry, he had to make it go away. Minoru took a solid stance and then kicked at the door near the handle. After only two tries, he managed to break the door down and enter.

"G-g-get back!" Akira was at the corner of her bed in a fetal position, desperately trying to cover herself with her bed sheet. "They-they-they're here!"

Minoru looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. _What is she seeing?_ But then the answer dawned on him. _I gave Akira her medicine earlier this morning. She should have woken up at noon but she didn't. Overdose?_ Minoru looked at the frightened girl. _She must have been having a nightmare when the medicine finally wore off. She's seeing phantoms of whatever was in her bad dream._

Technically, people who are asleep because of medicine shouldn't even _have_ dreams in the first place. That aside, Akira was experiencing a nightmare in real life and was absolutely terrified. Minoru needed a way to comfort her and the only thing he could think of was a hug. Sure, she might hit him or insult him for acting so familiar with her, but formalities be damned, she was hysterical.

Minoru hugged her and held on as tight as he could without making it painful for her. In his arms, Akira thrashed about, screaming pleas for mercy, cries of terror, and more than a few lines of profanity. It was a grueling fifteen minutes before she calmed down.

"… Hey" Minoru whispered as his grip grew looser "You okay"

"… _What do you think_…?" Akira said, tired. She hesitated a bit before talking again. "… Thanks…"

"Don't mention it" Minoru let go of Akira and walked back to the door, inspecting the lock. Akira just watched him.

There was a sudden growl. Minoru looked at the salmon haired girl on the bed "… _I'm hungry_…" Akira said with a blush.

_It's almost like none of that even happened…_

**LUCKY STAR**

Sojiro entered the house. His movement was sluggish and his face held a defeated expression. He kicked off his shoes and left them where they fell, not bothering to arrange them neatly. Upon entering his room, he took of his coat and tie and threw them onto his bed.

He stood in front of the mirror next to his bed, staring at his reflection, noting the bags under his eyes. "Nothing…" He said aloud, his voice, hollow. A day comprised of three different job interviews and none of them had accepted him. They didn't even give him the 'we'll review your profile and get back to you' thing. They just straight up rejected him.

"What am I going to do…?" He slumped onto the mattress like a ragdoll, melting into the sheets as they enveloped him. Although it was still late afternoon, he felt more tired than he had ever felt in years. _Maybe this is all a bad dream, and when I wake up, things would be different._ It did not take long for sleep to take him.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Well… That was a chapter.**

**I'm at my second week at college and I am very tired… all the time… Anyway, I go to bed at ten these days and now get 7 hours of sleep, and to be honest, I don't think it's making a difference. If anything, I feel even more tired than when I slept 3-4 hours a day. I don't even have inspiration to write anymore. I normally get it in the middle of the night and by then I'm asleep. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed another short chapter.**


	8. The night is cold

**So here is chapter 8. We finally put an end to the 4 chapter long 24 hour cycle – and to think all of the previous chapters fit and entire day into a single chapter.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 8 "The night is cold"**

**LUCKY STAR**

Redhead freshman high school girl Yutaka Kobayakawa, accompanied by her ever-stoic girlfriend, Minami Iwasaki, was on a train heading for her home in Saitama. The day's activities at the Iwasaki estate had grown somber since lunch so they came to an unspoken agreement that Yutaka would not be staying for dinner. So there she was, speeding along the tracks as she watched the sunset through the train car windows, Minami sitting beside her, holding her hand. The train was surprisingly devoid of passenger and the lack of said persons caused the car to be soothingly quiet

"Mrs. Takara was being unpleasant." Yutaka pierced the silence with the statement.

Minami was surprised. It was quite unusual of her to comment something in negative light. In fact, one might say it was impossible for her to do so. Yet there, in the empty train car, Yutaka casually criticized Yukari, Miyuki's mom negatively. Granted, it was only mildly negative, but it made a difference to Minami. "Is something wrong?" She asked

"Miyuki's mom doesn't seem to like us anymore. When she looks at us, it makes me feel like we did something wrong…" Yutaka said. "It doesn't feel nice when she looks at us."

Minami squeezed Yutaka's hand. It comforted Yutaka but it would only be temporary. If Minami wanted to make a difference, she had to tell her what she knew. The only problem is that she didn't know a lot – at least not for sure. Then of course there's the fact that she has to _tell_ her with words. "It started when she found out about us"

"What?"

"She began acting like that when she found out we got together." Minami explained. "It seems she's trying to hide it but she really dislikes the fact that we're dating. I don't know whether she's trying to hide her dislike because she doesn't want to outwardly oppose us or because of another reason. Then there's the other question of _why_ she dislikes our relationship. I wish I knew more"

"Does Miyuki know?" Yutaka asked

"She knows about as much as I do." Minami said "I'm not surprised. I don't think she'd have an easy time bringing the topic up"

It was food for thought, and thoughts were all that remained for the rest of the trip. They sat in silence until they reached their stop

**LUCKY STAR**

[What do you want, brother?]

[Hey Misao. Where are you again? Grandpa and grandma were asking]

[I'm at Kagami's. Why?]

[I said the geezers were asking for you. Alright, bye]

[What are yo-]

\- Click -

**LUCKY STAR**

When Ayano got home, her expression was more than a little haggard. Sure, _physically_ she was about as good as she always was at that time of day. Emotionally and mentally was another story.

Earlier that day, she and her boyfriend had watched a rather… disturbing… series of movies about cute little anime girls who fight witches. The movie had gotten her emotionally invested in it and she was utterly drained by the end of movie one – and there were three movies.

"I'm home!" Ayano called from the entrance. She took off her shoes and wandered the house. She was not met with any welcome. "Where is everybody?" She walked to the kitchen and saw a note on the table. "_Went to buy groceries. If not home by dinner, leftovers in fridge"._ It was well past dinner time and no one was there so Ayano checked the fridge. Sure enough, yesterday's dinner was wrapped neatly in a plastic microwavable box. Her only problem now was her appetite. She didn't feel like eating and it would be a waste if she heated the food and wasn't able to finish it so she decided to just go to bed. _It's a little early but I'm tired. If I wake up hungry I could always just heat up the food._

With that, she went up to her room and slept

**LUCKY STAR**

Dinner at the Izumi household had been lonely. Yutaka had heated the food Konata prepared for dinner and ate alone at the table. Her uncle, Sojiro, had not come down for supper and so Yutaka was left to a quiet meal with herself and some empty seats.

After which, she prepared a bath, heating the water it just short of being unpleasantly hot. After a quick but thorough scrubbing and rinsing, she lowered herself into the tub, wincing slightly from the heat. There she remained calm and quiet for a few minutes, thinking of the day's events.

She thought about the most recent thing that had happened to/near her – namely, Sojiro Izumi's apparent depression. She wasn't exactly sure it was depression, but she felt the aura of hopelessness emanating from the door to his room. She found it more than a little disturbing so she decided to think of something else.

Her rather quiet afternoon at the Iwasaki Estate felt incomplete. There was a feeling of tension in the air all throughout her stay and it all began when they had lunch with Mrs. Takara and Iwasaki. Yutaka didn't understand why Yukari disliked her, or rather, her relationship with Minami. _What's so wrong about dating the person you love?_ Yutaka asked in her head. _Love…_

"I'm in love with Minami." She said bluntly, as if trying to convince herself. "I'm in love… I kissed her…" She blushed but it wasn't obvious as her skin had reddened due to the heat of the water. "Minami… I… love…" She hesitated for a few seconds then splashed at the water. "I can't do it!" She sunk into the tub until only her nose and upper parts of her head were exposed. _Why can't I say it?_

Yutaka stood up suddenly, causing small amounts of water to spill out of the bath tub. She wobbled a bit as dizzy static hit the edges of her vision. She regained her balance and got out of the water. I wish I was stronger: strong enough to not get sick all the time… strong enough to tell her 'I love _you'… strong enough to not need to rely on Minami all the time… strong enough to able to help Minami when she needs it…_ She stood there, dripping wet and shivering. Her body yearned to be dried off and warm again but she remained rooted to the spot. She was crying. It wasn't obvious, what with her hair making water trickle down her face constantly, but yes, she was crying.

After a few minutes, a point came where she wouldn't be able to ignore the cold even if she wanted to. She quickly dried off and put on her pajamas.

When she got to her room, she plopped onto the bed and hid deep within the warmth of her covers. There was no energetic big sister, calm and collected mother, kind-hearted uncle, or quirky cousin to tuck her in. For the very first time since she moved to the Izumi residence, she felt vulnerable. It was like she was in a hospital bed again. Everything was cold and unfriendly back then, with the only things she felt at ease with being her pillow and bed sheets, and even those didn't last long before they too were replaced with 'clinically-clean' new ones. That familiar feeling was not a nice one.

Sleep did not come easily to her that night.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami awoke to hear Konata singing. She had been having an unsettling dream that was not quite psychologically scarring, but was nowhere near enjoyable. When she opened her eyes, she heard Konata moving around, saying things like "Tsukasa, what's wrong?" Kagami deduced that Tsukasa also had a nightmare. Kagami was about to move in to comfort her but then Konata began singing. Deciding against getting up, she feigned sleep and listened in.

Konata's singing voice – her actual singing voice – was one of the most beautiful voices Kagami had ever heard. The lyrics were in English but it didn't matter. She felt the emotion and power of the song – she felt the motherly warmth the song was exuding. She was moved near to tears.

But alas, the song ended and Kagami was left with silence. She shifted a bit until she could see Konata and Tsukasa from her lying-down position on her bed. Konata was lowering Tsukasa's head onto her pillow. She had a fond and loving smile on her face as she did so. After she tucked her in, she kissed her lightly on the forehead. Kagami could barely hear a whispered "Sleep well". After which, Konata stood and quietly – almost soundlessly – walked out the door

Kagami felt a bittersweet swell in her heart. _Tsukasa trusts Konata. Trusts her enough that her nightmares are all but forgotten when she's held by her… And Konata's willing to help Tsukasa with whatever she's having trouble with, whether it's homework or bad dreams._ She clutched her chest. _Why do those facts have to hurt me so much? I get it, I love Konata, but I don't want to feel like this anymore. That's why I have Misao. _Kagami blinked. _Misao_… Kagami curled up on her bed, hugging her legs_. Is that all she is to me – a distraction – a pain killer?_ She clenched her teeth. _We've been friends for years. She confessed to me. And I answered her. Heck, we've even kissed! Do I REALLY think of her as nothing more than a toy to keep from thinking about Konata?_ Tears began welling in her eyes. _I am a terrible person… I don't deserve her love… I don't deserve our friendship… Heck, if I can do it to her that means I can do it to anyone. I don't deserve ANY friendship_. _I should just stay alone for the rest of my life so I don't hurt anyone… _She began shaking._ But I don't want that. Am I willing to hurt others for my own benefit – so I don't feel lonely…? I don't know…_ There was a stream of water flowing down her cheeks by the time she realized she started crying.

All that time that Kagami was having a panic attack Konata had entered the room, got changed, then got out. Both girls were oblivious of the other's presence.

As Kagami continued her downward spiral, Tsukasa had awoken, feeling the foul presence in the room. She drowsily looked at the source and found that it was a shaking and crying Kagami. She slowly got up and crawled into her bed to hug Kagami. "Sis, I'm here"

Like a transfusion of new blood to a patient bleeding to death, Kagami hugged back tightly and relief washed over her almost immediately. "I'm here" Those two words and the warmth of Tsukasa held Kagami together. "Stay with me" Kagami said shakily, sobbing quietly as she held her sister.

And stay she did. They eventually fell asleep together.

**LUCKY STAR**

It was a beautiful night. Misao and Konata, after a brief chat and briefer argument, had gone out for a jog. It was two in the morning but the two couldn't sleep and they both were adepts at running. What better to do in the middle of the night than what they had in common?

The two wore tracksuits. Despite covering their entire body, they still felt the chill of the night air.

Misao took long strides, seeming to float every time she pushed her body forward. Konata took shorter, quicker steps, bouncing up and down rhythmically. They both said nothing and they jogged under the pale yellow rays of the street lights scattered around the empty neighborhood, the cold early morning wind biting the skin on their faces.

They came at a stop near a bench

"I'm surprised you can keep up, chibi" Misao joked as she plopped onto the seat.

Konata took a seat as well. "You'd be surprised at a lot of thing I do" Konata said smugly, albeit slightly out of breath. She had a pleased look on her face "Never underestimate me"

That earned a chuckle from Misao "Heh. You know, you're not that bad, chibi" She leaned back on the bench, looking up at the stars. "You're a whole lot different than what I thought you were…" She said quietly "I used to hate you."

Konata blinked. _Hate?_

"Back then, Kagami had only just met you but you were closer to her than I ever was. It wasn't long before she stopped paying that much attention to me… It hurt me…" Misao leaned forward and looked towards the ground, brow furrowed. "I thought you were the reason she left. I thought you were trying to steal her away. I hated you for it. I wished you and Kagami never met…"

Konata tilted her head slightly.

Misao met Konata's curious eyes with hers. "But you weren't. You weren't trying to steal her from me. You were just being yourself." Misao chuckled. "I can see why Kagami was drawn to you. You're an amazing person Konata."

Konata, who would normally revel in complements such as those simply stood there with red cheeks. Whether those red cheeks were from the cold or because she was blushing was not apparent.

Misao sighed. She closed her eyes and steeled herself. When she opened her eyes, she said "But what am I saying. Kagami has a mind of her own. If she chose you because you're an amazing person, then I've gotta be a better one. I WILL win Kagami's heart." Her face was a look of determination.

Konata was surprised – surprised by a lot of things. The first and perhaps biggest surprise would be Kagami and her apparent love for her. If what Misao's statements implied were true, what Konata had written off as nothing more than a general tsundere quality during her teasing was actually an attraction to her specifically. She never really saw Kagami to be someone who would be interested in other girls. _Then again, she's dating Misao… Wait…_

"Hold on, aren't you two already dating?" Konata asked, her sudden realization sparking a question. "Doesn't that mean Kagami's already chosen you?"

"Er… Well…" Misao scratched her head. "It doesn't really feel like it… it feels like she's using me to forget you"

"Okay, I didn't exactly see that Kagami was in love with me, but I'd like to think that I know a lot about her." Konata began. "If she's using you to make her forget me, then do it!" Konata shouted enthusiastically. "Make her fall in love with you! She's willing enough. The very reason she even accepted your advance was because she trusts you."

"I-I…" Misao stuttered "I wasn't expecting you to react like this…"

"Really now? What DID you expect, me being ecstatic for getting into a possible 'harem route'? Just who the hell do you think I am!?" Konata said in outrage in a voice a little louder than it should be at two thirty a.m.

Misao stared at her. "Harem route…?" She shook her head. "Never mind. You're really okay with me being with Kagami?"

"Yes" Konata said simply. "I care about Kagami. She does her best at what she does and puts extra effort to make her best actually _be_ the best."

"…Yeah…" Misao agreed. Kagami was a perfectionist. Everything from her grades in school to the high scores in her shooter games. It was like she had something to prove to someone who wouldn't take anything but the closest thing to perfect as possible.

"But she can't to everything. As good as she is, she's only human. Sometimes her best isn't enough and she's gonna fail at something eventually. When she falls, she falls hard, and has trouble getting back up… And she won't ever ask for help…" Konata said, brows furrowed in frustration

Misao frowned. "She always tries to deal with things on her own…" Misao felt bitter. Whenever she attempted to offer help in the past, Kagami always shunned her away.

"She's asking for help now, you know"

"What?"

"She needs someone – to help her get back on feet; to stop her when she aims too high; to catch her when she falls; … to save her from the pain she puts herself though…" Konata's eyes seemed to screamed in pain as she empathized with Kagami. "She's never gonna say it but she needs someone to be there for her." Konata stated calmly "That someone can be you – _should_ be you."

"I..." Misao seemed at a loss of words. "I don't…"

"Oh for the love of Haruhi, YOU'RE HER GIRLFRIEND! Why shouldn't it be you!?" Konata said, apparently waking one of the cats sleeping nearby as a loud _meoooowr_ of complaint sounded from the roof of a nearby house.

"Well…" She couldn't really argue with that logic. "Yeah, you're right…"

"Yes. I'm right" Konata smiled. "It has to be you" She skipped forward a few feet before stopping in the middle of the rays of the street light. "Besides…" She tilted her head to look back at Misao. "I don't think it can be me"

Misao shuddered "Don't do that head tilt thing. The less I'm reminded of those stupid movies, the better I'll feel" She said, remembering the movies Konata had made them watch earlier that night

Konata checked her phone "Three a.m.… I think it's time to head back"

"Eh… sure" Misao stood. "Though all that serious talk makes me want to run some more" She said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"We can run on the way back" Konata suggested. A sly smile found its way to her face "Wanna race?"

Misao looked at her with an enthusiastic grin "Bring it"

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka found that her sleep was much shallower than she expected them to be. Yes, she had difficulty getting to sleep that night, but her body was normally too exhausted to wake her any earlier than when she normally woke up. That said, she was surprised when she woke up in a pitch black room.

After letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, she was barely able to make out the hands of her wall clock which read 4:46. _A few minutes before dawn…_ Yutaka noted. She got up and began fixing her bed, deciding that she wasn't going back to sleep.

She fixed her bed, put on her ribbons, and made downstairs for the kitchen.

"…I think that's a terrible idea…" Yutaka heard right before she reached the bottom steps. _Uncle Sojiro?_ She crept closer to the living room until she was right outside the door.

"… I don't know, Yuki. She's a pretty frail girl. I don't think settling for a lower pay job is an option if I want to keep her here…" _He's talking to mom? They're talking about me?_ "I HAVE sold them. That's what I used to pay for this month's bills… No, Konata's stuff is hers… I don't know…" _He seems so sad…_ "Why… Why did this have to happen…? Okay… Sure… If it's for the best…"

Sojiro put down the phone and slumped onto the couch. "I'm sorry Yutaka" He muttered

"Why?" Yutaka asked aloud, not quite expecting to say it so loudly.

Sojiro jumped to his feet. "Yutaka!?" He looked to the doorway. "How much did you hear?"

"I…" Yutaka was taken aback by his behavior. Normally, Sojiro would be very kind to her, sometimes to the point of doting her – though not as much as he did to Konata. "I heard something about selling things and my mom's name…"

"… Well…" Sojiro looked haggard. It was like he hadn't had any sleep despite being asleep the when Yutaka had check on him during dinner. His hollow eyes looked at Yutaka with a certain kind of sadness "Yes… I was talking to your mother"

"What… what were you talking about?" Yutaka asked nervously.

"I…" Sojiro heisted. He wasn't sure how to respond so he decided to postpone answering "… Wait for Konata to get home. We'll discuss it when we're together."

With that, Sojiro walked past Yutaka and stalked to his room. Yutaka looked at him with concern. _I hope it's not too bad._

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki awoke to the sound of something hitting her window. Her first thought was _two days in a row?_ She got up, put on her glasses, and looked out the window. Sure enough, Minami was down there waiting for her. Miyuki yawned and walked to her wardrobe_. I don't blame her for being distressed all this time_. She thought as she began getting dressed. _I doubt disapproval by the parent of one of your closest friends would feel good to anyone_. She finished getting dressed and went down to meet Minami

**LUCKY STAR**

**This chapter was brought to you by procrastination. God damn, college is hard. And explain to me why all these people want to talk to me at the same time? It wasn't like this in highschool. Help! So yeah, I'm not doing pretty good. I really hate my schedule since I write in the middle of the night and my schedule is in the morning.**

**I hope you liked that chapter. This was my favorite chapter to write since chapter one. I've sorta had this night planned for a long time. In this chapter we addressed certain things I'm sure none of you even cared for. I'm a great writer, right? (Hahaha, no I'm not)**

**Also know that none of the scenes involving Minoru, Yui, and Ayano in the past 3 chapters were planned.**

**Next chapter should be up in a week or so. That should be something to look forward to, right? … right? … well, whatever. New chapter, a week or something, bye for now.**


	9. On this midsummer's day

**While the sleepover arc ended last chapter, there are still some things I need to do before I head over to the next arc. So here we'll have "On this midsummer's day…".**

**LUCKY STAR**

The morning of the Hiiragi household was a lively one. It began with the sound of an alarm clock set and entire hour earlier than it normally would have been.

"Uhhh…" Kagami groaned as she slapped the clock's snooze button, accidentally sliding it off the nightstand.

"Wah!?" The clock landed flat on Konata's face, waking her up. She put her hands on her face and began to spasm when the pain of the plastic box hitting her nose and forehead finally registered to her brain.

Konata's said thrashing caused Misao to awake as well. Lying on her stomach on top of Konata for some reason, she felt the shorter girl's legs kick her belly and knock the wind out of her. She made a noise of pain with every hit

Tsukasa groaned in irritation to the noise. "Five more minutes" She muttered before hugging her pillow tighter and going back to sleep.

The pillow was Kagami, who felt an increase in pressure on her chest area and heard the racket of the two on the floor. She opened her eyes to find her twin hugging her tightly, rubbing her face into her chest. "… Ah…" A blush erupted into her face.

Konata finally stopped moving around and Misao was able to sit up. The blanket slid off her back and she found that she was sitting on top of Konata in a very… misleading position. "… Oh…" They both noticed this and blushed.

The three who had gained full consciousness looked at each other and saw that all of them were in an embarrassing situation. "Well…"

They all decided to keep all of what transpired that morning to themselves (save for Tsukasa who was asleep and therefore would not be able to talk about it anyway)

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori was on a date with Patricia. The sun was high in the sky but the wind was pleasant and cool as the two of them walked through the park. Cherry tree's surrounded them, peppering the ground with pink blossoms and filtering the sun's rays into rosy glow though it's branches. Hand and hand, they walked, until Patricia stopped and stood in front of Hiyori, staring passionately.

_This is like a scene from an anime._ Hiyori thought as she smiled at Patricia. She smiled back and leaned in closer. Hiyori closed her eyes

"I love you" Patricia kissed Hiyori softly, bending down to reach the shorter girl. Her lips tasted of strawberries, as it had when they had first kissed.

Hiyori was in a state of bliss. _I'm in heaven. She _opened her eyes as Patricia pulled away, giving her a knowing look. "Liked it?"

Hiyori blushed and nodded._ Oh my god, how did this even happen!?_ She tilted her head forward in an attempt to give a kiss of her own before Patricia put her index finger to Hiyori's lips. "Not yet." She smiled shook her head before running off ahead.

_Why not…?_ As Hiyori asked herself that question, another question came to mind – rather, several questions. _How DID this happen?_ She thought. She began looking around, as if seeing clearly for the first time. _Its July isn't it? Why are the cheer trees in full bloom? And why are the two of us the only people in the park?_ Slowly the answer came to her. _I'm dreaming_

Hiyori opened her eyes to find herself in her bed in her bed, in her room, in her house.

A dream about Patricia Martin – a dream about dating her – kissing her: What that entails was very clear to Hiyori. _Well, it's official._ She thought as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. _I've fallen for her…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Have you found out why she's been acting like that?" Minami's words echoed in Miyuki's mind.

Earlier that morning, just before dawn, she had called her for more advice, or in this case, questioning. Miyuki had been asking herself the same thing. _Why HAS mother been acting so strange lately? It's not like her to be so unpleasant._

The question was left unanswered earlier because Miyuki didn't even HAVE an answer. _But I WILL get one_. Miyuki steeled herself. _It will require planning…_ and she did just that, although as she planned, she began doubting whether or not she could execute it. _Oh dear, I hope I didn't forget any important details…_

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka was left alone in the house. Sojiro had washed up to look less like a sleep deprived psycho and more like his usual self so that he could go to another job interview. Konata had not returned from her sleepover and was probably still at the Hiiragi's. Yui had called Yutaka yesterday saying that her husband had returned, so there wasn't any chance for her to visit today. Basically, she was completely alone in the house for the entire day – or at least until Konata got back.

Yutaka sat on the couch, hugging her legs. The TV had nothing good on so she decided to leave it at a random channel. So there she sat, staring at a science channel showcasing things exploding in slow-motion. It didn't really interest Yutaka. Sure it was cool and all, but she had other things on her mind.

"Mom…" She found herself missing her mother more and more with each passing hour. The reminder of her which Yutaka received minutes before first light opened a hole in Yutaka's heart that she didn't know she had. "I wonder how she's doing…" Yutaka asked wistfully. "… what were she and uncle talking about?"

The answer never came to her.

**LUCKY STAR**

The two couples lazed around the Hiiragi house that morning. None of them had any desire to study, play video games, or even talk. The four of them simply sat in the living room enjoying each other's presence – rather, three were doing so, while one was… trying.

Misao shifted in her seat on the couch. She felt restless. She wanted to scream, run, do jumping jacks, or something! She stood, causing the other occupants of the room to look at her. "So…" Her voice pierced the silence, filling the room with a nervous echo.

"Yes, Misao?" Kagami deadpanned as she sat up straight. She was enjoying one of the very few moments of silence she experienced with her friends as did not appreciate it being shattered. "What is it?"

"… I want to do something…"

Kagami sighed "Why am I not surprised…?" Kagami massaged her temples "Okay, what do you want to do?" She asked patiently. Misao didn't respond. "Misao…" Kagami began in a stern voice

"Are you mad at me…?" Misao asked nervously

"What do you–" Kagami realized that she was glaring coldly at Misao. "… oh… sorry…" her expression softened. "I was just a little annoyed… Anyway, what do you want to do?"

"I want to… to do something where we're moving around…" Misao said "You know… stretch my legs…"

Kagami thought for a while. "Well… I've got nothing…" she frowned. "What about you guys? Do you–" When Kagami turned to face the two, she saw that Tsukasa and Konata were watching them, the former with a curious stare and the latter with an analyzing one. "… um…" Kagami glanced at Misao who seems to have also noticed the two's gaze. Kagami continued reluctantly "… do… do you have any ideas…?"

Konata blinked "Arcade?" she suggested

Kagami made an inward groan and an outward sigh. "Can't it be something we can do in the house? I don't want to go outside anymore" Misao seemed a bit saddened by her comment.

Konata noticed that. "Maybe you two should be the ones to decide. Me and Tsukasa don't feel like doing anything today" She said with her signature cat smile. "Nothing at all~" She said in a sing-song voice.

"You know, it's not a good thing to be so lazy." Kagami said dryly, crossing her arms. She looked at Tsukasa "Tell me again why you chose her and not someone else?"

"Why not?" Tsukasa asked innocently

"… right…" Kagami could have given her a number of reasons, but none of those would convince Tsukasa. Besides, she had already made her choice so there wasn't really anything Kagami could say that would change anything. "Please, Tsukasa, don't become too much like her" Kagami asked of her, not really wanting another one like Konata in her life.

"Don't worry, sis, I'll always still be me." Tsukasa said "Besides, I don't think Konata can make me any worse"

"That statement doesn't sound as positive as you think it does, Tsukasa…" Kagami said, noting the unintended implications of what her sister said. "But in a way it's true…" Kagami muttered.

"Eh…?" Tsukasa squeaked in confusion.

Konata giggled, Kagami rubbed the bridge of her nose, and Misao began pacing the room. _What the hell are we doing?_ Kagami wondered in annoyance. "Can we please get back on topic?"

"I heard a session of passionate kissing can burn thousands of calories" Konata suggested in a teasing tone.

"Can we do that" Misao asked excitedly

Kagami flushed. "NO!" She bonked Konata on the head. "Don't give her ideas!"

"Ow!" Konata rubbed her head. "Relax, Kagami! It's not like she's a pervert. She just really likes you." Konata explained offhandedly.

"How can you be so casual about this!?"

"Embarrassed Kagami is cute isn't she?" Konata asked Misao

"Yeah, very" The brunette agreed

"Damn it guys!" Kagami stomped her foot "Uhh! Why do you people have to be so annoying!" She stormed out the room

"… Don't you think she seems angrier today?" Misao asked

"Considering how this day started, I'd be VERY angry if I were her." Konata said

"Hey Kona-chan?" Tsukasa finally spoke up again

"Yes?"

"Does kissing really burn calories? Can we try?"

"Uh…" Konata was speechless. "Well, I… eh…"

Misao put a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile "Good luck" She followed Kagami out the door

Konata gave her a pleading look. _Please don't leave me with this. I'm not ready for this yet!_ Before Misao exited the room, she turned to the two and waved goodbye. Konata looked at Tsukasa who stared at her curiously. _Great, years of experience with dating sims and erotic games but for some reason none of that is registering now… what am I going to do!?_

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka opened the door to see a tall, mint-haired girt towering over her. "Minami…" She wrapped her arms around Minami's waist and pulled her into a hug. "I don't know why you're here, but I'm really happy to see you…"

"That text you sent me this morning…" Minami said. She after she returned home from a quick walk around the neighborhood with Miyuki, she had received a rather worrying message from Yutaka a few minutes before dawn which gave vague details involving Mr. Izumi and Yutaka's mother. After running a few errands, she took the train to Saitama and made for the Izumi residence. "I was worried…"

"… Thank you…" Yutaka said meekly.

"Come on. Let's get inside."

And inside they went. Minami got Yutaka a glass of water and asked her to sit on the couch. Of course, Yutaka argued that it's disrespectful for the guest to be the one doing things for the host, but Minami waved it off.

"But… I'm supposed to be the host…" She insisted

"It's fine, Yutaka." Minami picked her up and gently lowered her into the couch. Yutaka tried to struggle but found it to be futile and gave up. Minami, however, noticed something different about Yutaka's wriggling in her arms. Her movements were a lot more sluggish than they normally were and she stopped moving sooner than usual. "… Are you okay?" Once Yutaka was seated on the couch, Minami put her palm on her neck and then her forehead, checking if she had a fever. "No fever but…"

"I'm fine, Minami. Don't worry" Yutaka tried to reassure her. It didn't work

"How much sleep did you get last night?" Minami asked, remembering how early she got that text. "And have you eaten breakfast?"

"I ate some toast and some eggs…" Yutaka said, guilt hinting in her voice as it was not much of a breakfast. "… and I guess I didn't get much sleep…"

"Stay here…" Minami stood a walked to the kitchen. A short time after, she returned and once more picked Yutaka up and proceeded upstairs. They entered Yutaka's room and Minami slowly lowered her onto the bed. "Rest. I'll be back." She tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and walked out the door

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, Goldy. How ya doing…?" Kagami asked her fish swimming in the pond in her backyard. Konata had won it for her during a summer festival and became a habit of hers to sit by the fishpond and talk to the goldfish whenever she felt the need to get away from people. "So my girlfriend slept over with us tonight. It was actually less of a disaster than I thought."

The fish seemed pleased by what the twin-tailed girl said, regardless of the fact that goldfish can't exactly hear things the same way humans can.

"But what am I supposed to do with her though." Kagami wondered. "I don't really like her the same way she likes me. It doesn't seem right to me if I just give her what she wants. Then again, she's my girlfriend. I consented to it. Isn't it her right to take what I've given her? While she's willing to wait if I'm not ready, I'm not sure I ever will be. I don't want to disappoint her… What do I do?"

The fish swam in circles, as if pacing the pool, thinking of an answer.

The girl sighed. "I can't return the affection of someone I myself don't love."

"Can't we change that?" Kagami heard a voice behind her. It was Misao, who took a seat behind her and leaned towards Kagami, using her as a backrest. "Maybe I can't force you to kiss me, but maybe I can get you to fall in love with me so you'll kiss me on your own." The brunette chuckled "Simple"

Kagami pushed back at Misao so that they were equally leaning into each other "Yeah, like it would be that easy"

"Hey, I never said it was easy." She replied. Misao put her hand on the ground next to her girlfriend's hand. "But that's what I plan to do"

"Misao…" Kagami's cheeks flushed but on her face remained a sad smile. _I don't deserve her…_ tears threatened to stream down her face. She was glad they were back-to-back with eachother since Kagami's face was hidden from her girlfriend's gaze.

Misao, being unusually serious, put her hand on Kagami's. "I'll stay with you." She said with determination "No matter what"

_Stop this_. Kagami suppressed her urge to cry. _Stop being so nice to me!_ Kagami stood. If she stayed there any longer, she would have been sobbing into Misao's shirt in no time. She had to get away. "I'm going to my room. I want to be alone for a while" She walked away.

Misao noticed Kagami's forced-emotionless tone as she went back inside the house. The brunette looked at the fish. "Did I make her mad?"

The fish swam left and then right, as if shaking its head in disagreement.

"Really? That's not what I think…." Misao sighed. "Well, that coulda' gone better…" Misao shook her head "Ah, whatever. What's done is done." She went back into the house

**LUCKY STAR**

The lovely couple, Konata and Tsukasa, had moved from the living room to Tsukasa's room. The two were taking the next step to which they would further their relationship. Basically, they ended up actually making out.

It started with fifteen minutes of blushing and hesitation before a simple peck on the lips. Then they did a proper kiss, lasting about a second. Then next one was longer. After a few more minutes of repeating said activity, getting progressively more passionate as they went, it got to the point where they were, in essence, tongue wrestling – and they both loved every second of it.

"Ah-" Tsukasa gasped as she pulled away, completely out of breath. "That… was amazing…"

"Ah… I did NOT… expect… to be doing this" Konata panted as well, feeling her heart pump furiously in her chest. She laid back onto the bed and asked "So… you liked it…?"

Tsukasa joined her in lying down. "Yeah…" She hugged the shorter girl. "Thanks…"

"D-don't mention it…" Konata hugged her back. After a few minutes, their breathing went back to normal. "So… want to go again?" She realized that Tsukasa was asleep. She was stuck in the embrace of someone whom she wouldn't dare wake. "… Well…"

**LUCKY STAR**

Last night, Yutaka felt lonely and scared on her bed. It was dark, cold, and strangely foreign to her despite living there for nearly half a year now. But right then, she didn't feel that way. She felt relaxed and happy. _Minami is here. She's here to protect me… To protect me…_ Yutaka's perception of reality began to waiver as she drifted deeper into her mind, yet her mind itself remained lucid, which allowed her a moment of inner contemplation without worldly distractions.

The world of her mind was dark, empty, but not cold. There was a single light in the vast expanse of nothingness from which emanated a comfortable warmth. It glowed mint green.

"Minami is here to protect me again… Why am I always in need of help…? Why can't I do things on my own…? I don't want Minami to worry again but that's all I ever do…" The light grew brighter, warmth washing over her ethereal body. _It's fine_ "No, it's not fine! I don't want to be a burden anymore. I want to be stronger." The light dimmed, and the heat vanished. _She'll always be there for you, won't she?_ "I know she'll be here for me, but who would be there for her?" It grew cold – so cold it threatened to freeze her to death. _You can._ "How can I be there for her if I can't stand on my own!?" The heat and light returned, this time, actually taking the form of Minami. _You don't have to stand on your own. We stand together._

Yutaka opened her eyes to Minami dipping a towel in a bowl of water. "I did some groceries while you were asleep" She said as she put the wet towel on her forhead

_So it was just a dream…_ "How… how long was I out?" Yutaka said quietly as she began to sit up

"Two or three hours?" Minami began to think for a while "I went down to check the fridge again and when I got back up, you were asleep. I went out and bought some food from a nearby supermarket and when I got back you had a fever. While I cooked, I checked on you every few minutes, changing your cold compress."

"… Three hours…" Yutaka seemed amazed. She felt as though she had been asleep for less than five minutes. "… Wow…"

"You were sleep talking" Minami said.

"I-"

"I meant what I said." Minami cut her off. She looked at her with deep blue eyes "We stand together."

Yutaka was transfixed by her gaze. It seemed so sad… but determined. "But what if I'm not good enough for you?"

Minami gave her a weird look, as if her question didn't make sense. "I love you, Yutaka. You are and always will be more than enough for me."

_She just said… Alright, I'll do it now._ "Minami, I-"

Minami kissed Yutaka on the lips, shutting her up "I don't like repeating myself." She said with finality. She stood and opened the door. "Lunch will be ready soon" She walked out and closed the door.

"… Love you too…" Yutaka said glumly. She sighed and plopped back down on her bed. "… I love you too…"

**LUCKY STAR**

"Alright… begin plan A" Miyuki whispered to herself as she walked into the dining room for lunch. The Iwasakis had elected to eat at their own house, thus, the pink-haired mother and daughter ate lunch alone.

"So that's why the saying that you'd be less wet walking in the rain than running is scientifically wrong." Miyuki completed her explanation of the physics of rain, a topic brought up by her mother who had been watching a TV show that tried to test whether walking in the rain was better to stay dry or not.

Yukari frowned, deep in thought, her hand, holding a fork, hovered over her food as if her pondering had caused her entire body to become paralyzed. "So their testing method must have been wrong…" Yukari finally concluded.

"It's likely. It's really hard to test though." Miyuki smiled as they continued eating.

When the food was all eaten, Miyuki stood and took her and her mother's dishes to the sink. After finishing the dishes, Miyuki went to the living room saw that her mother was sitting on the couch, eyes half opened and chin resting on her hand as she leaned on the armrest, apparently bored.

_Good. Everything's going according to plan… or at least I hope it is…_ Miyuki entered the room. "Mother, would you like some company?"

Yukari's eyes opened a bit when she heard her daughter's voice. "That would be wonderful." She smiled and moved to give the younger girl a place on the couch next to her.

"How has your week been going, mother?"

"Oh, you know same old - same old." And by that, she meant she barely did anything all week aside from laze around the house.

"I don't mean to offend you, but perhaps you should get a hobby"

Yukari frowned slightly "Well, I try, but after a few weeks I end up forgetting that I was supposed to be doing something"

The daughter sighed "Well, that _is_ something we're prone to…" She said, remembering how she once tried to heat something in the microwave and ended up forgetting about it for half an hour. The said incident happened several times over the course of a few hours.

"What about you?" Yukari asked cheerfully "What has my daughter been doing this past week?"

"Well… I've been studying for college entrance exams, but I'm trying to keep relaxed. Less stress means higher retention of memory" Miyuki explained. "I've also went out with my friends last Monday." She began pointing out some highlights to that day "Kagami and I met at a bookstore, half an hour before we were supposed to meet. Tsukasa joined us at hour meeting place, just having finished buying soft-serve ice cream – she even gave me a cone of vanilla. Konata arrived fifteen minutes late, explaining that a store 'called out to her' when she saw that there was a manga being showcased in the display window. She did the same thing a few minutes later to another store and brought us along with her. It was quite troublesome"

Yukari smiled "You say that, but you seem to enjoy recounting that day." Miyuki only eye smiled her response.

Silence filled the room once again. _She seems relaxed enough_. Miyuki noted. _Now would be as good at time as any._

"I've also been talking with Minami a lot" Miyuki said. Yukari's smile faltered. _There it is again._ "Recently she's been wondering why you've been acting so unpleasant around her, and to be honest, so am I. Would you care to tell me the reason so I can tell her?"

Yukari's smile was no longer genuine "Actually, I wouldn't care to tell you." She looked away "Perhaps you'd rather talk about something else"

"Unfortunately, I don't. I'd prefer to stay on this topic." Miyuki had a fake smile plastered on her face as well now. "In fact, I'd like for us to stay on this topic until it's been resolved"

"What if there isn't anything _to_ _be_ resolved?" Yukari said. "I see no problem in my behavior towards her. Am I not polite and respectful towards her?"

"Yes you are, but that is not the problem we see." Miyuki explained. "Rather, the problem is that you're forcing yourself."

"And so what if I am?"

"What we don't understand is _why_, mother." Miyuki said plainly. "You're dislike is obvious. We just want to know the reason"

Yukari stood. "That reason is personal. I'm sorry Miyuki, but I do not wish to tell you." She began to walk out the room.

_Oh dear. It seems she's being more stubborn that I expected. I'd better switch to plan B._ "Mom…" Yukari stopped in her tracks. "Please, Minami's my friend. She's one of the few friends I have. I'm trying to help her."

"Miyuki…"

"Why do you have to act so cold to her now? You used to be so kind to her. Yes, you're still polite, but what happened to change your view of her." Miyuki pleaded for the answer. "Why do you hurt my best friend?!" _Control yourself! Don't let your emotions get the better of you._

"Miyuki… I didn't know you felt so strongly about this…" Yukari still stood there. Not knowing quite what to do. She sighed, apparently giving up. "Okay then… I'll tell you." She sat back down the couch.

**LUCKY STAR**

Lunch at the Hiiragi household was quiet yet cheerful. "Thank you for the food" They all dug in with gusto as Tsukasa and Konata had cooked the meal again, and by all means, it was one of the most delicious lunches the other four had tasted. 'Thanks for the food' indeed

"I still don't understand how you managed an hour's worth of cooking in just fifteen minutes" Kagami said skeptically as they brought the dishes to the sink. "It's just not possible"

"Well, Kagami, that's just what we do" Konata gave her a cat smile "We do the impossible. See the invisible"

"Why do I suspect this to segue into an anime reference" Kagami muttered dryly

"Row Row Fight the power~!" Konata sang

"Called it…" Kagami sighed in exasperation. "Gurren Lagann, right…?"

"I'm surprised you got that." Konata said "C'mon. You know you're gonna miss it when I leave later." She teased

Kagami clenched her teeth "You know what? Yes. Yes I will." She said bluntly, looking at Konata with sad and shameful eyes.

"Whoa, there. What's with that look? It's not like missing me is the worst crime in the world."

"… Whatever." Kagami began scrubbing the dishes. When she passed a plate to Konata, the shorter girl rinsed it and put it to the side to dry.

Konata frowned. Something is definitely up with her today. _I may very well extend my stay here to resolve this…_ She turned around to see Misao eying Kagami with worry. _But maybe it doesn't have to be me who stays…_

They continued to wash.

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki lay on her bed, looking up at the ceiling, as if staring a hole through her roof would help her digest what she just learned.

Miyuki's mother, Yukari Takara had, at one point, dated Minami's mother, Honoka Iwasaki. They were a wonderful couple but due to a series of unfortunate coincidences and misunderstandings, they had a very bad break up. Despite it being twenty or so years ago, Yukari was still hurting from it. Because of that, the thought homosexual relationships between girls seemed to really irk her.

Although it begs the question of _why_ she was still bitter. _Does she still harbor feelings for Mrs. Iwasaki?_ Miyuki wondered. _Is Honoka Iwasaki aware of said feelings? Is that why she keeps teasing my mother with reminders?_ Miyuki rolled to the side so that she was lying face down on the bed and groaned into her pillow. _What am I going to tell Minami?_

**LUCKY STAR**

"How do you feel?" Around three in the afternoon, Minami came in with a book and sat in a chair at the foot of Yutaka's bed.

"I feel fine…" Yutaka insisted, red-faced due to her fever worsening since lunch.

"I'll believe that if when I next check your temperature and its normal." Minami stated and began reading her book.

Yutaka shifted on the mattress, trying to get a better view of Minami. _She's always so beautiful_. Yutaka thought. She stared at the mint haired girl with longing eyes. _I want her to say 'I love you' to me again… I want her to hold my hand again… I want her to kiss me again… _Yutaka's mind was heavily clouded, and she had difficulty thinking. "Minami…"

The taller girl put down her book and moved to the smaller girl's side. "Yes?"

"Minami…" Yutaka tried to get closer, struggling to crawl nearer to the edge. Minami saw this and leaned more towards the bed. "Minami" Yutaka took hold of Minami's shoulder and rolled over to the side.

Minami, taken off-guard, was pulled onto the bed next to her. "Yutaka…" She had her arms wrapped around Minami's neck. Her face seemed to be getting closer and closer. "… Yutaka… I don't think-" Yutaka pulled her into a kiss, hugging her tightly. When Minami finally broke free she looked at Yutaka with surprise and more than a little worry.

"More… please" Yutaka said faintly

"No, you need rest." Minami tried to roll out of the bed but hands took her sides before she reached the edge.

"Stay… at least stay…" Yutaka wrapped her arms around Minami's waist and didn't let go.

Minami could have broken the hold – quite easily, in fact – but thought that it would be better that Yutaka not struggle anymore. Besides, she kind of liked the position she was in. Minami stayed in Yutaka's embrace, on her bed.

"I love you…" Yutaka said weakly, her hold on her waist loosening.

Minami rolled on the bed to face Yutaka. "I love you too…" She hugger the smaller girl.

**LUCKY STAR**

There was heaviness to the air inside the living room which threatened to crush the two girls occupying it. Konata had left the house for home shortly after lunch. Misao, however, had elected to stay for a few more hours.

Kagami tapped her fingers on the couch, making slight thumping sounds as they hit the fabric. "… Why exactly _are_ you staying?" Kagami asked Misao.

"Hey, you make it sound like I'm not welcome here anymore" Misao said in a hurt, albeit joking tone.

"You _are_ welcome but you may have very well outstayed it." The twin-tailed girl deadpanned.

"Is it wrong for me to want to be with you?"

Kagami clenched her teeth. _Yes. Why would you _want_ to be with me?_ "… No. It's fine"

"… Kagami, did I make you mad? It seems like you're only forcing yourself to be with me."

"I'm not mad at you, it's just… just…" Kagami began to explain but didn't know where to go with it.

"Kagami, do you hate me?"

Kagami looked at her with confusion "What? No!" _Why would you think that!? Sure, you're a bit annoying, but there isn't anything to hate about you._

"They why do you look like you're hurt when you look at me?" Misao asked. "C'mon, I don't look _that_ bad, do I?"

Kagami's face flushed. "Uh… No…" _No, she really doesn't look bad. She actually has a really cute face and beautiful figure._ She shook her head. _Great, ANOTHER reason why I don't deserve her_

"Kagami, you're blushing" Misao said in a teasing tone. "What were you thinking?"

"It… it's none of your business!" Kagami yelled in annoyance. She stood and ran out the room.

Misao smiled sadly and sighed. _Just keep waiting, Misao._ She stood and followed Kagami out the door. _Keep waiting and don't rush into it._ She bit her lip. _But I really do wish I could just up and make out with her._ With exasperation, she knocked on Kagami's door and entered, hoping to chip away another piece of the wall Kagami had erected between them since the start of their relationship.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Yo! I'm home" Konata yelled as she took off her shoes and put it with all the other shoes. She noticed a pair that weren't her dad's or Yui's. Konata smiled when she finally recognized whose they were. "And it looks like I'm not the only one home"

Konata went to the kitchen to ready for making diner and saw that the fridge had been restocked. "This much food needs a week's salary to buy. Dad hasn't gotten a job yet, and if he has, he hasn't gotten a pay check yet. So who bought these?" She thought back to the shoes. "Look like we're in debt…"

She left the kitchen and proceeded to Yutaka's room, making a quick stop to her own room to drop off her over-night pack. She sneakily opened the door and peeked inside. _Minami and Yutaka cuddling. Ain't that cute._ Konata smiled_. I'm tempted to go in and tease them, but I'm not liking the looks of that bowl of ice water and towel. Is Yutaka sick?_ Deciding to leave them be, Konata went down to make dinner.

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori's inspiration had been sky high since the kiss she received yesterday. The said inspiration caused her to finish the seven or so doujins she had left to gather dust because she couldn't properly end the kiss scene realistically enough. Now that she's finally experienced what she was drawing, it became much easier for her to do romance stories. And do that she did, with two one-shots already in the works and three chapters worth of content for a multi-parter swirling around in her head. At the rate she was going, she may have the most number of doujins to sell next Comiket for her circle. That rate only increased because of her dream last night.

_This one will be a special one._ She thought as she finished inking the page. _This one is for Patricia._ Sure enough, the cover showcased a well-endowed, blond haired, blue eyed school girl sitting next to a long haired and blushing glasses-girl. _I can't believe I finished it so quickly though. Ten pages in the span of 24 hours – that beat my last record out the ball park._

"Now…" Hiyori sighed. She looked at her phone with a nervous smile, the name 'Patricia Martin' flashed on screen. "To call her…" Her thumb hovered over the accept button, shaking slightly as tension grew inside her. _Come on. You just talked to her YESTERDAY. What can change in a day!?_ Then she remembered Konata and Tsukasa who went from friends to girlfriends in the span of an hour because of a simple question. _Okay maybe a lot can change…_

The tension in her body relaxed, not because it snapped when Hiyori finally pressed accept, but because it pulled her back with a massive tug when she pressed cancel.

"That won't work. Maybe a text would do it?" Hiyori said, as if trying to convince herself, albeit in a very ineffective manner. With the text ready, her hand was once again petrified. For whatever reason she just COULD NOT press the accept button. _Stop being so nervous! You can draw your friends in lewd situations without hesitation but are paralyzed from the thought of sending a text? Press it! Please, for the love of god, press the button!_

Hiyori closed her eyes and clenched her hand into a fist, hoping her thumb landed in the right spot.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Uhhh! Finally she left!" Kagami said with a sigh of relief. Misao had decided it was time to go home and bid the Hiiragis goodbye.

"What's wrong sis?" Tsukasa slid Kagami's door open when she heard a muffled yell from her room.

"Uh… er… nothing."

"Really? I thought I heard something and, well, I thought it came from your room."

"It's nothing, Tsukasa. Don't worry about it." Kagami smiled, reassuring Tsukasa.

"Er… okay…" Tsukasa just stood at the door, not leaving or coming in.

"Tsukasa, could you close the door?" Kagami asked her sister as she began shifting though her books, looking for the one they had been studying the day before.

Tsukasa entered the room and closed the door.

"Is something the matter?"

"Sis… You've had your first kiss before right?"

Kagami twitched. "Y-yes… I have" She said "But I'd rather forget it." She added in a mutter. Her first kiss was Misao deciding that a good way to express her joy of Kagami agreeing to date her was to grab the twin-tail's face and press their lips together.

"Earlier I had my first kiss with Konata." Tsukasa said quickly, like she'd been practicing. She got no response. "… Sis…?" She waved her hand in front of Kagami's face. Still no response. She grabbed hold of Kagami's shoulder and began shaking her. Nothing. Tsukasa sighed. "… oh, not again…"

**LUCKY STAR**

[LUCKY CHANNEL!]

[Heya, luckies! I'm Minoru Shiraishi. I'm sorry to say, but Ms Akira's still not feeling well. Get better Akira Kogami! Fight that sickness! Just who does it think you are!? Fight it! Fight the power! Speaking of which, our next song is _Libera Me From Hell_, from _Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann_. Brought to you by _Gainax_. Enjoy!]

**LUCKY STAR**

**Still in college, still passing with fairly good grades, still not liking the people there. Sigh.**

**Anyway, Wow, this took way too long to make. Once again, we have a 6k word story. Hooray?**

**I tried harder to make everything less… serious. Granted, I may have gone a bit overboard with that first part, but it was fun to write so I decided to keep it in.**

**This chapter also marks the return of the Lucky Channel radio segment I had in the past chapters (hey, they only have one broadcast a day. It wouldn't make sense if there was a lucky channel segment in all 4 chapters that spanned a single day.)**

**As always, reviews are appreciated (especially ones that tell me what I do wrong [spelling, grammar, plot errors] and what I do right [things you like about my story].)**


	10. The second trimester begins

**You'd think summer would last forever, huh? Well, it doesn't. Here's "The second trimester begins"**

**LUCKY STAR**

After the events of that weekend in the middle of summer, the lives of Konata &amp; Yutaka, Miyuki &amp; Minami, Kagami &amp; Tsukasa, and Misao had taken a turn for the better – "better" being relative.

Sojiro finally got another job and was sustaining the Izumi household as best he could. At least they didn't need to worry about having food or running water anymore.

Yukari, now with no reason to hide her dislike of Minami and her relationship with Yutaka, was more open with everyone. The Iwasaki and Takara daughters, despite the unhidden dislike, were now more comfortable being in the same room as her, and were quite amused when Yukari began retorting to Honka's teasing. Their back and forth was reminiscent of Konata and Kagami before they got girlfriends.

Speaking of Kagami, the Hiiragi household returned to its routine of Tsukasa waking up late and forgetting about studying while Kagami was picking up the slack, trying her hardest to get her sister ready for college the entrance tests that year. Truth be told, going back to the familiar humdrum of their lives before that day a month ago felt surreal. Kagami wasn't quite sure what to make of it – and as far as the twin-tailed girl could tell, her twin hadn't realized the change at all.

Misao, still part of the track team, still energetic and seemingly carefree, and still Kagami's girlfriend, also had her life return to the state of normalcy it once had. It was a relief for Misao as the early to middle parts of summer was filled with too many serious matters to talk about. It was a breath of fresh air for her to go from relationship drama back to fun times with friends.

All that said, better is still not good. Yutaka never found out what her mother and Sojiro were talking about over the phone that one night. Konata and Tsukasa, despite taking an enormous leap in their relationship that particular morning, felt that each still saw the other as a friend more than a lover. Yukari and Minami, despite being more comfortable around each other, still had strained relations. Kagami was the worst off, her feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness of being with Misao threatened to overcome her whenever she thought about it too much – and it was worse when she was alone. The only one who probably WAS better off was Hiyori.

Hiyori Tamura, raven haired, glasses wearing doujin artist, decided to take Patricia Martin, blonde and busty American exchange student, on her offer of "more" – "More" being a chance to receive more physical affection from the blonde, i.e. hugs, kisses, etc…

The two began dating in the middle of summer and until the very end of summer, they stayed together.

Speaking of the end of summer…

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good morning Shiraishi-san." Miyuki greeted as she entered the classroom

"Early again, I see"

"It's the start of a new trimester. I thought it would be a good idea to come early." Miyuki put her bag on her chair and walked out the door. "Besides, the class representatives have a meeting this morning. I'll see you in class, Shiraishi-san"

"See you, Takara-san" Minoru saluted a goodbye.

On her way to the student council office, Miyuki bumped into a lavender haired twin-tailed girl while turning a corner. "Oh, good morning Kagami-san"

"Sorry, Miyuki-san. I shouldn't have been standing behind that corner." Kagami said quickly

"Not to worry. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going." Miyuki assured her. "Are you headed for the student council office?"

"Yeah. We have a meeting, right?"

"Then let's go together" Miyuki smiled and gestured for the two of them to start walking. And walk they did. "Is Tsukasa-san with you?"

"No. She's still asleep…" Kagami sighed "…Like she always is"

"I'm a bit surprised, though. Hasn't Tsukasa been waking up earlier as of late?"

"Er…" Kagami scratched her head. "Well… you remember that sleepover we had a week ago? She seemed to go back to normal after that"

"Hmm… That's quite strange…" The pinkette noted. "But not entirely unlikely."

"Oh, did you bring an umbrella today?"

"Why… no." Miyuki raised an eyebrow to the unexpected question. "Did the forecast say there would be rain today?"

"Not really, but they said there was a chance that it might if you stay out late enough." Kagami explained "I thought 'better safe than sorry' so I brought a foldable kind" She rummaged her bag and pulled out a folding umbrella – the automatic push-button kind.

"That's a lovely umbrella." Miyuki examined it. The design was rather minimalistic, having only primary colors and basic shapes on the fabric but it looked to have a pattern that was pleasing to look at if it were unfurled. "Oh, this is the birthday gift I gave you"

"Yeah" Kagami smirked "Not saying I want it to rain, but it would be nice to break this thing in"

"Actually, umbrellas were originally made to shade you from the sun" Miyuki commented

"Really…? Huh…" Kagami seemed surprised by that information.

"Don't worry. In modern times, the term umbrella is used when it shields from the rain. It's an unofficial distinction that a parasol is what is used to shade from the sun, although they do both jobs equally well."

"Well, that was certainly some interesting trivia." Kagami remarked "I swear, is there anything you _don't_ know"

"Oh, I don't know everything. I know only what I know" Miyuki said modestly. Kagami blinked then shook her head, as if remembering something she shouldn't. _Did I say something wrong? _Miyuki wondered

They reached the student council office and entered in preparation for the meeting. Now they need only wait for the other class reps to arrive.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good morning, Kona-chan" The lavender-haired air head smiled as she waved hello.

"Good morning Konata-san, Tsukasa-san" Miyuki entered the room and greeted her friends.

"Good morning Yuki-chan"

"How was your summer, moe goddess Miyuki." Konata said with a dramatic bow – a bit difficult considering she was sitting at her desk.

"It was not very eventful summer, unfortunately." Miyuki commented "But it was fun nonetheless"

Tsukasa tilted her head slightly "Hey, Yuki-chan"

"Yes?"

"You're normally the first one to class. How come you weren't here when I arrived?" Tsukasa asked curiously

"Well, I'm not really the first person to get here. That title goes to Shiraishi-san."

"Sebastian?" Konata asked "He's the first to class?"

"Er… yes." Miyuki sweat dropped "Anyway, I arrived here shortly before varsity practice began." The school sports teams began morning practice at least an hour prior to the start of school. "I went to a class representatives' meeting… Then I wandered the school a bit while I waited for class to start"

"Wow Yuki-chan. I never knew you woke up so early." Tsukasa said in wonder.

"It's not surprising. You have a curfew don't you?" Konata noted

"Yes. Nine o'clock. But I've recently had it pushed back to as late as ten."

"Hey Tsukasa, don't you go to sleep at nine as well?" Konata asked

"Er… I do?" Tsukasa doesn't check the clock before she goes to sleep so she doesn't know. Not being able to give an answer she just pouted and hung her head, blushing.

"You're cute when you do that" Konata commented, which caused Tsukasa to cover her cheeks and walk to her seat, obviously embarrassed at the compliment. Konata smiled "She's cute isn't she?"

"Yes." Miyuki looked at Tsukasa. She was holding her hands up to her cheeks and shaking her head excitedly. She was like a smitten school girl, which she incidentally was. Miyuki glanced at the person who cause the reaction and saw that she was still staring at Tsukasa. "Yes, she certainly is" Miyuki smiled and returned to her seat.

The bell rang and a voice called from the door. "Alright, class. Quiet down. It's the first day of school after summer vacation, let's not start it off by being more annoying than you already are." Nanako Kuroi walked into the room, apparently in a bad mood. "So to start off this trimester, let's have attendance. Izumi!"

Konata raised her hand with a smug smile. "Here"

"Really now?" Ms. Kuroi said in surprise. "I expected you to be late… Ah whatever" She waved off her disbelief. "You're off to a good start, Izumi. Let's hope it lasts till the end of the school year"

"It might, but I wouldn't get your hopes up." Konata replied

"Ha! Like I'd ever do THAT" Kuroi laughed

"…" Konata felt a little hurt from the low expectations but didn't really mind.

And so began the second trimester of that year.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good afternoon, Nurse Amahara." Yutaka chimed as she and Minami entered the room. Minami nodded her greeting as well

"Oh, good afternoon. How was your summer?" Fuyuki Amahara, the nurse asked cheerfully. "Oh, we're using a different brand of your medicine now." She said cheerfully "If it works as well as it should, we'll have saved you a couple hundred yen." She winked and shifting though her stuff.

"Our summer was fun" Yutaka answered happily. "And thank you."

"Did you find anything remotely supernatural in the summer?" Nurse Amahara asked.

"Eh…" Yutaka sweat dropped. "I'm sorry Nurse Amahara, we didn't find any" Every Monday she asked if they saw ghosts or some similar phenomena over the weekend. They always said no but it seemed it made no difference to her as she always asked again. It was no surprise that she asked on the first day of the new trimester.

"Really? That's a shame."

"Yutaka" Minami handed her a glass of water. She looked at the nurse and held up a bottle of tablets, looking for confirmation.

"Yes, that's the one."

Minami nodded and gave Yutaka a single tablet from the container. The rosy redhead drank it, as gasp escaping her lips when she finished.

"Oh, and by the way, the drowsiness side effect you get from your previous brand of medicine is still present in this one. I just needed to inform you"

Minami looked at the bottle again, and she found a little foot note on the label with the side effects written. Sure enough, 'mild drowsiness' was there.

"Just be careful not to fall asleep in class" Minami warned.

"Okay" Yutaka got off the bed and the two of them began walking out the nurse's office. "Goodbye nurse Amahara."

"Take care now. Be sure to tell me about any paranormal activity you might find."

The door closed and the two students walked back to class.

"Oh, Minami, can we stop by the cafeteria?" Yutaka asked as she passed by the hall leading to said room. "I need to go buy lunch"

"You didn't bring lunch?"

"No. It's cheaper to buy food here. At least that's what I was told."

The mint haired girl blinked. "We could always have my lunch." She suggested

"What? No, that's _your_ lunch. You should be the one to eat it" The shorter girl said

"I'm not that hungry. I think I can survive a day without lunch."

"No. Minami, it's _yours_." Yutaka insisted.

Minami looked down and muttered. "… What if we share…?"

Yutaka tilted her head slightly. "…Eh…?"

"… We could share my lunch…" Minami said, eyes fixed on a single point in the air in front of her. "… I'd like to feed you…" Minami's face grew red slightly

"… Oh…" Yutaka blushed "… I'd like that too…"

After a few seconds of awkward relative-silence as they stood in the bustling cafeteria hallway, they began walking once more to the classroom, hand in hand.

**LUCKY STAR**

"I've always wanted to eat lunch up here!" Patricia said enthusiastically. "It's like were anime protagonists!"

They had gone to the roof. Technically, students weren't allowed to eat there. But no one was around and Patricia happened to know how to pick locks.

"Patty-chan, I'm not sure we should stay here…" Hiyori said nervously

"Oh, relax. It's not like anyone goes up here anyway" Patricia waved of her lover's concerns and examined the area.

It was flat, concrete, and surrounded by a chain-link fence – not particularly eye-catching. Patricia was not impressed "Tell me, why do anime protags like eating here?"

"Erm… I don't really know." Hiyori had set a handkerchief on the floor and was sitting on it, getting ready to eat. "Maybe it's the view?"

Patricia leaned on the fence and looked down on the campus. "Looks about as good as it does on the ground." She deadpanned. Sighing, she sat down in front of Hiyori and watched her eat.

It took the glasses-girl a few minutes to notice the rather intense stare Patricia was giving her. And when she did… "Wha! Why are you staring at me!?"

"I'm bored and hungry" The blond said said, not taking her eyes off of the other

"Er… If you don't have money to buy some, you could always share some of mine" Hiyori said nervously.

"It's not exactly that kind of hunger…" Patricia said with a mischievous grin

"Um…" _What is she planning? Knowing Patricia, it could be anything…_

"Oh, don't mind me for now. Just keep eating"

With apprehension in her stomach, Hiyori ate as fast as possible before her appetite lessens any more. _Whatever she's planning, I want it over with as fast as possible_.

As Hiyori finished eating her food and packing her lunch box, Patricia leaned over to her. "Remember when I said I was hungry?" _Oh boy…_ "I was sorta craving a taste…" _Is this gonna go the way I think it will…?_ "of you…" _… Well…_

One passionate kiss later, Hiyori was out of breath, and Patricia had pinned her down, knees on her hips and hands on her shoulders. Hiyori couldn't move "Wow… This… was entirely different… from how… I imagined… getting pinned… would feel like…" Hiyori said between deep breaths.

"Pinning someone by the wrists isn't as effective as anime would tell you." Patricia smiled. "So… can I keep going?"

"… What?"

"Oh, you know." Patricia casually put her hand on Hiyori's left breast.

Hiyori gasped. _I MY GOD. If I say yes, I'm gonna get laid… Am I ready for this…? Oh, who am I kidding? I WANT THIS!_ "G-go…" Patricia grinned and continued.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, Misao, I've always wondered this… How can you wolf down all of your food all the time and not get any fatter?" Kagami asked, pinching her waist.

"Dude, I'm part of the track team, remember?"

"… huh, forgot about that…"

Lunch in classroom 3-C was pleasant and quiet. Kagami, Misao, and Ayano had much of the room to themselves, with all their classmates either taking up their own small space in the corner of the room, eating at the cafeteria, or wandering the school building.

"You've gotta relax, Kagami. You're not fat." Misao said casually. "You're pretty sexy actually."

That earned a swat to the head which Kagami delivered swiftly. "Geez, you're sounding more and more like Konata with every passing day."

Misao rubbed her head. "Oww… You didn't have to hit me _that_ hard. I was telling you what I honestly thought" Kagami blushed but did not respond. "Speaking of that midget, why aren't you eating with her?"

Kagami blinked. _Why AREN'T I eating with her?_ "… I don't know."

"Maybe it's because you wanted to spend time with me?" Misao said hopefully.

"Er… no. I don't think so." Kagami deadpanned

"Kagami, that's mean." Misao pouted. "Is that how you're supposed to treat your girlfriend?" Kagami twitched. Misao noticed this and suddenly became worried. "… Oh boy…" She began snapping her fingers in front of the twin-tails' face as she began shivering. "Kagami, I was joking. I actually kinda like it when you're mean to me." She said quickly, trying to calm her down..

Kagami's eyes slowly went back into focus and her cheeks slowly turned a rosy color. "You… You shouldn't joke about things like that…"

"Sorry…" Misao apologized. "Hey, this is that tsundere personality this the chibi was talking about" Misao said enthusiastically, happy to have remembered something about her girlfriend. "You're actually pretty sensitive, huh?"

"Sh-shut up…" Kagami replied weakly. "It's your fault for saying stupid things…"

"Just stop thinking too much on it. Your brain keeps making things worse; I'm surprised you keep acing our tests"

"Oh, big words coming from someone who got 16% percent once" Kagami retorted, her voice gaining some energy back

"Hey, the teacher NEVER discussed that!"

"It _was_ discussed! _Last Year_!" Kagami corrected

"You expect me to remember something a teacher taught me _a year ago_?!"

"At least _some of it!_"

"Maybe if you helped me, I'd be able to remember!"

"Oh, I very much doubt that!"

"Wanna bet!?"

"You're on!"

"Great! I'll go to your house every Saturday for tutoring then."

Kagami blinked "Wait what?" _Did she just…_

"That was smooth." Ayano giggled. "When did you get so good at talking?"

"Let's just say me and the midget are closer friends that we used to be." Misao said smugly

_So SHE planned this…_ Kagami clenched her teeth. _I'm gonna kill her…_

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki was wandering the halls. Public displays of affection aside, she was perfectly comfortable with staying in the class room and watching her two friends act lovey-dovey, and the couple was likewise fine with her being there. She didn't wish to intrude on them though. Thus, she walked the school building.

By definition, "to wander" is _"to move around or go to different places usually without having a particular purpose or direction"_. With that said, Miyuki was definitely wandering, in more ways than one.

Her mind was afloat and her train of thought had gone off the tracks. The last thing she remembered was walking out of her classroom, the next thing she knew, she was on the other side of the building (and little did she know that she had circled the entire floor twice before she came to)

What tore from daze, however, was a scream.

"Kyaaa!"

"What was that?" Miyuki looked around to find a few other students who were also looking around. They probably heard the noise as well.

A few minutes past and those searching gave up and once again went about their business. Miyuki, however continued her search, fueled by a certain curiosity she couldn't quite control. _That sound was too soft to be from one of the nearby classrooms. It's also too loud to be from a classroom farther away. From the way it resounded through the hall, I'd say it came from outside, through the window_. Miyuki looked out the window and found the grounds were empty. _It wasn't directly from the outside, so it was probably from the second years' hallway… Oh dear, am I really bold enough to brave entering the halls of my underclassmen? _Miyuki shook her head. _Perhaps it was on the roof. I'd rather not embarrass myself by going down to the second years' floor._

And so Miyuki went for the roof, the door to which was surprisingly unlocked. What she saw was… troubling, to say the least.

**LUCKY STAR**

"I know we talked about this before, but which end of a choco-cornet is the head?" Konata asked as she took a bite of the side food item. "Like… Which is it _really? _Is it the fat end or the skinny end?"

Tsukasa thought for a bit "Well, I always thought it was the skinny end because it looks kinda like-"

"A sea shell" Konata finished, taking another bite off the skinny end of the cornet.

The lavender haired girl beamed in awe "Yeah. Wow Konata, you're a really good guesser. It's like you read my mind"

"Eh…" _But we already talked about this. Two years ago…_ "Yeah, let's go with that. It's the skinny end, like the tip of a sea shell…" The otaku decided not to further that conversation anymore.

"You know, I don't think a choco-cornet is enough food for you" Tsukasa noted

"What?"

"I mean, back in the last trimester, you were always bringing box lunches. What happened to change that?" Concern laced Tsukasa's voice.

"Eh… Well, I'm trying to save money and buying choco-cornets and a bottle of milk is cheaper than the lunch I make at home."

"Really?" Tsukasa asked, not quite believing her. "What are you saving up for?"

Konata was presented with a choice - trust Tsukasa and tell her the truth or lie and risk upsetting her if she ever finds out. _If she doesn't find out I'll be fine… but then it would mean I don't trust her, now doesn't it? Well… If I were in a dating sim, what action would lead to the good ending…? I'm gonna tell her the truth._ "Remember around a month or so ago when I said we were having money troubles?"

The question got a worried look from Tsukasa "Y-yes…"

"We're sorta still in a pinch." Konata gave a vague explanation that didn't really explain anything. "Better than before, but not good."

Tsukasa was left with something to ponder. She pouted, arching her eyebrows, and rubbing her chin. _Tsukasa looks cute when she's deep in thought like that…_ The airhead's eyes widened and a smile found its way on her face. She got an idea.

"I'll just make you one" Tsukasa said cheerfully

"… Make me what?" The blunette was confused. _We were talking about money… she's gonna help me make money?_

"Lunch"

"Oh…" She blinked. _Ooooh, that's what she meant._ "Are you sure? I don't really want to be too much trouble"

"Yeah. Why not? It's not like you don't already depend on Kagami for homework. Why not depend on me for food too?"

_Ouch… Airheads hit hard when they don't know what they're saying… But she has a point. Why not?_ "… Okay. You'll make lunch for me. Thanks"

"You're welcome." Tsukasa chimed. "I'll start tomorrow… But til' then…" Tsukasa took a bit of her lunch with her chopsticks and raised it in front of Konata. "Here, have some."

"Uh…" Konata blushed. _Holy Haruhi, we're gonna be sharing lunch. That's like getting an indirect kiss… what am I thinking!? I've already gotten a DIRECT KISS from her! Why is this making my heart pound all of all of a sudden!? It's like I'm in a shoujo manga or something!_ She opened her mouth and Tsukasa fed her.

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki was scolding her two scantily clad underclassmen. "While I'm sorry to have intruded in your… um… intimate moment…" Hiyori and Patricia blushed "… but please understand, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be doing that sort of thing at school. You're lucky it was just me. I'd rather not think of what would have happened if a teacher saw you." The two first-years blushed even more "It's perfectly reasonable for healthy teenage girls to engage in sexual activities, but keep in mind that there is a time and place for everything…"

"Alright, we promised not to get caught next time" Patricia said, getting over her embarrassment quicker than most people would think possible

Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "If you _are_ gonna be doing something like that again, I suggest you find a way to keep the noise to the minimum…" She smiled "oh, and close the door next time" With that, the pinkette walked back into the building.

Once she was at the bottom of the steps, she sighed. _I'd be lying if I didn't find that more than a little arousing… _She shook her head to dispel any unwanted thoughts. _You're in school, Miyuki. Know your priorities._

**LUCKY STAR**

"Oh, Hiyori, where've you been?" Yutaka asked when she entered the room.

"Well… I was… er… with Patricia and we ate on the roof" Hiyori said quickly

Minami raised an eyebrow. She gave the glasses-girl a once over – slightly messy hair; somewhat ruffled uniform; subtly looser skirt – Minami was pretty sure of what Hiyori and Patricia did on the roof and she would bet that it _wasn't_ eating (although that actually did happen)

Hiyori noticed Minami's stare and when she glanced at her, the mint-haired girl gave a razor-thin smile, a barely noticeable change in her emotionless face. "Congratulations" She said. Hiyori blushed. _She knows._

"Congratulations for what?" Yutaka asked

"Ah… well… you see…" Hiyori couldn't think of an answer.

"It's a secret. She'll tell you when she's less shy about it" Minami said, saving Hiyori the trouble of explaining.

Hiyori looked at Minami with grateful eyes. The stoic returned her glance with a look that said _tell us when you're ready_. Hiyori smiled nervously. _Message received_

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami was asked by their homeroom teacher to help with filing the class' grades. Why the teacher would entrust a student to do that, she didn't know, the fact of the matter is that she was forced to stay late after school.

The rain poured outside as Kagami exchanged her shoes at the shoe lockers. "Well looks like I got my wish. I WILL be breaking this thing in" As she went out the door, the twin-tailed girl took out the folding umbrella from her bag and moved to walk into the rain before she noticed a head of blue hair at the edge of the overhang that shielded them from the rain. "Yo, Konata"

The otaku blinked "Oh, Kagami. Didn't see you there"

"Jeez. What are you doing, spacing out over here?"

"Aww. You're worried about me?" Konata teased

"Of course I'm worried. You were standing there, glaring into space as if you were really pissed off."

The bluenette blinked again "I was?"

"Yeah"

"Ah… Well, don't worry about that." Konata waved her off "What you should worry about is me getting stuck in the rain. Got any problem with sharing?" She gestured at the umbrella

"Oh… Sure." And so, they walked to the station together under the canopy of the umbrella.

The only sound as they walked was the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the side walk. This is one of the few times Kagami had ever been alone with Konata and not be constantly teased by her. Come to think of it, the last time they were ever alone together was before she and Tsukasa got together, and that was nearly two months ago. That said, the lack of communication made the air around them feel heavy.

"S-so…" Kagami pierced the relative silence.

"… So" Konata repeated awkwardly.

_Say something, damn it!_ "So… school started today…"

"… Yeah"

"… Sorry I didn't eat with you guys"

"It's fine…"

The conversation was force and uncomfortable. Kagami began beating herself up for not being able to find a good topic to talk about. _It would have been better to keep the awkward silence._ Coincidentally, that was exactly what they returned to.

"Hey, Kagami…" This time it was Konata the broke the silence. "You have a meeting with the other class reps right?"

Kagami coughed lightly "… Um… Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Miyuki said she went to a class rep meeting this morning. Since you're a class rep, I just put two and two together." Konata explained "Anyways, what was the meeting about?"

"Oh, okay" _That was actually pretty obvious… How did I not think of that?_ "Well, we have a few weeks before the culture festival begins so we decided to start planning. It was mostly budget negotiations with the student council. I don't know how the prez managed to juggle negotiating with nine different reps at the same time but she was amazing."

"Actually, I saw an anime involving a certain student council president who could do that…" Konata began, to which she was flicked on the forehead by Kagami

"Whoever that is, if she's from anime, I'm not surprised she can do it." Kagami deadpanned "Oh, and would you believe that Miyuki got you guys the biggest budget out of all of us?"

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah. The difference between your budget and everyone else's was a little under a hundred yen, but still"

"That's our Miyuki" Konata praised "How'd she do it? Did she use her sexy moe aspects to seduce the prez?" She added with a sly smile

Kagami face palmed "First of all, the prez doesn't swing that way; second, I don't think Miyuki would stoop so low"

"Hmm… I suppose you're right." Konata frowned "I don't think Miyuki would be able to use her moe powers even if she wanted to…"

"That's not exactly what I meant… Ah, whatever." Kagami shook her head "Anyway, she sort of intimidated us into it."

"No way"

"Yeah. We both know how rich Miyuki's family is. She threatened to… er… _contribute_ to your funds if your class didn't get a bigger budget."

"Wow, the goddess of moe's badass…"

"I'll say. Pretty unfair though" Kagami sighed "Then again, life isn't fair."

The silence returned once more, but not as awkward as it was earlier – not as long as earlier either

"How was lunch with Misao?" Konata asked. She said it in a casual manner but there was a certain look of expectation in her eyes.

Kagami looked at her with suspicion. "It was…" With a blink and a blush, she remembered. She bonked Konata on the head "You planned that didn't you!?"

"OW!" Konata rubbed place of impact. "That hurt."

"Admit it! You planned that whole scene with the teasing and the tricking and word play and-"

"Kagami! Calm down." Konata took hold of her shoulders, causing the tsundere to let go of the umbrella. "Chill"

Kagami took a deep breath. "Y-you… you planned for Misao to trick me into helping her study"

Konata stared at her "What?" She bent down and picked the umbrella up from the sidewalk. "Kagami, I never talked to Misao about doing that." She propped it up awkwardly, in a vain attempt to keep the canopy above Kagami's head. The twin-tailed girl took the umbrella from the struggling Konata. "I mean, I guess I gave her an idea when we last talked but… I didn't exactly give her a way to execute it."

"You… you didn't?" Kagami blushed

"No. I'm still sorta wondering how you thought it was my doing." Konata looked at her sternly, which really didn't work with her as all she could muster was a cute pout.

Ignoring the downright adorable attempt at an unsympathetic face, Kagami explained "She sort of began teasing me…"

Konata rolled her hands in a 'go on' gesture "And?"

"One of them hit a bit too hard and she apologized…"

"And?"

"After a few back-and-forths, she tricked me into accepting a bet where I have to tutor her every weekend."

"And?"

"… That's it"

"… That's it?"

"…That's it…"

Konata blinked "And what's the problem here again?"

"Well, I… I…" Kagami was speechless

"Right" Konata deadpanned in a voice similar to her Haruhi impression. "If you want my opinion, I think you're just overreacting"

"Stop it with the acting" Kagami warned

"Alright alright." Konata relented "But still, I DO think that. What, did you think I was planning to break your mind by sending your girlfriend to your house every week?" Konata joked

"… Yes…" The twin-tailed girl said shyly

"Wait, you did? What the hell kind of train of thought would lead you to that conclusion?" Konata shook her head. "Never mind. Listen Kagami, you've gotta stop overthinking things. Just accept that something good happened in your life. It's not like _everything_ has a catch."

"But…"

"Okay, maybe _most things_ have a catch. Like those supposedly free coupons I got from this one guy at gamerz" Konata muttered

"Uh…" Kagami was getting annoyed

"But that's beside the point. Now, where was I."

"What is it about my situation that is good?" Kagami asked irritably.

"Well, for one, you get to spend time you're your girlfriend" Konata said a-matter-of-factly.

"… She… She's my classmate. We see each other all the time"

"So are me and Tsukasa. I'd feel pretty good if I were in your situation… actually can you tutor me too?"

"NO, I can't tutor you too!"

"Darn it"

"Besides, I don't think staying at my house would be-"

"Kagami, stop making excuses. If you don't want her in your house, you could always tell her"

"But-"

"Ah, for some reason I forgot you were tsundere, alright have to think of a better solution"

"Hey, I'm not-"

"Actually there's no better way than to tell the truth" Konata concluded "Just tell her straight up that you don't want her at your house. Yeah. That'll-"

"Konata!" Kagami shut her up. "She deserves better than me…" Kagami said quietly, barely audible from the sound of the rain

"What are you talking about? You've got the some of the best grades in our year."

"No… it's not because of that… She deserves a better girlfriend… Someone who actually loves her…"

"Then be that girl" Konata said simply "Be the girl you think she deserves"

"I can't… I don't love her. I'm-"

"In love with me?" The umbrella once more fell to the ground

"K-konata…" Kagami blushed, not of just embarrassment, but also in shame. "…yes…"

"Then forget about me!" Konata yelled "If I'm the one going between you two then take me out of your life! Be happy with her!"

"But I DON'T WANT YOU OUT OF MY LIFE!" Kagami sobbed helplessly, sinking down to her knees.

"WELL DO YOU WANT MISAO OUT OF YOUR LIFE!?" Konata asked angrily "Stop beating yourself up! She loves you! It doesn't matter if she deserves better! YOU'RE THE ONE SHE WANTS!" Konata's emotions were overpowering her "Please… I don't want to see you so sad anymore…" Soon, she too sank to her knees.

"I-I'm sorry f-for yelling…" Kagami gasped as she tried to suppress her wails.

"Its… It's fine…" Konata managed "I just… just want you t-to be happy…" Konata leaned over to hug Kagami which she graciously returned.

So there on the sidewalk, in the rain, they sat holding each other, the cold raindrops ignored for the warmth and comfort of their skin ship.

After they've calmed down, Kagami sighed "what the hell are we doing, look at us…"

Konata chuckled. "We look like idiots"

"I'll say" The shade of an umbrella covered them from the rain as someone walked up behind them. The two turned to see it was Miyuki. "While I'm glad you two have made up in whatever argument you were having, I'd think it would be nice if we get you two out of the rain."

Kagami rubbed her eyes dry, or at least as dry as the weather would allow "Right. We might catch a cold" She stood up

Getting up as well, Konata segued into a tangent about colds. "You know, I've always wondered, why is that in anime, when you catch a cold, you're basically dead? It's like colds in anime are the equivalent of cancer in real life"

"… come to think of it, it's the same in light novels." Kagami realized, thankful that Konata lightened the mood

"Perhaps we should continue this while we walk?" Miyuki suggested "We're not far from the station"

And so, the three of them walked. The two received weird looks on the train because of their dripping wet clothes and hair but all was well. When the two got off at their respective stops, they went straight to their homes and took a hot bath.

Miyuki, who arrived home first recounted the even to Minami.

"It sounds like her problem is complicated" Minami noted

"It only seems that way, Minami-san" Miyuki said "It's a whole lot simpler than you think."

**LUCKY STAR**

**I'm getting a lot of views but not a lot of reviews. My mediocrity is more prominent than I thought. You guys seriously have nothing to say? Eh, I don't blame you. Hard to find something to say about something you don't have an opinion about. My story, while not all that bad, isn't exactly good either.**


	11. It was rainy after school

**Some time has passed and we are now one week and three days from the culture festival. You know what that means? Filler chapter! It was rainy after school**

**LUCKY STAR**

Friday at Ryoo High was rainy but not entirely gloomy. The weekend was nigh and all those in the school were very excited for the short break… almost.

"Alright guys. A few things before I dismiss you" Nanako Kuroi said to the class "I know next week is the culture festival and I'm sure you're all very excited about it but try to remember that a few weeks from now is your mid-term, and after that, college entrance exams. Have fun next week but keep in mind that you're seniors now. Get your priorities straight." She looked to the one seated near the back of the classroom "I'm looking at you, Izumi"

"Don't worry teach, my priorities are as straight as yours" Konata said teasingly

"That's what I'm afraid of" The history teacher deadpanned. She sighed and waved lazily at the class as she sat back down "Well, that's all. Class dismissed"

The class of 3-B slowly trickled out the room, bottle-necked by the two doors at the front and back of the classroom. The first out was Shiraishi who opened the front door wide when he exited. _Nice guy, that Shiraishi._ Kuroi commented. The people continued to leave

Soon the classroom was left with only three other people – Konata Izumi, Tsukasa Hiiragi, and Miyuki Takara. _Best friends I've ever seen_. Kuroi smiled and approached them. "Don't have any plans on leaving?"

"Nope, no plans on _leaving_" Konata said simply "What we _do_ have plans for, though…"

Kuroi didn't like the sly grin that appeared on the otaku's face "Is it anything likely to get me fired"

"Oh, heaven's no" Miyuki said "We were simply making plans for the culture festival"

"Awww, why'd you have to tell her? I wanted to mess with teach a bit"

Kuroi bonked Konata on the head, followed by an 'ow' from the victim. "That's for implying something untrue and would possibly cost me my job." Kuroi went back to the teacher's table and picked up her bag. "Well, I'm leaving. Lock up before you go"

"No problem, Ms. Kuroi" Tsukasa and Miyuki said in unison. "No problemo, teach" Konata said cheerfully

As Kuroi closed the door, she noticed a girl waiting outside class 3-C. _Isn't that Kusakabe?_

She walked up to her. "Hey, kid, classes are over… what are you doing?"

"Oh, Ms. Kuroi…" Misao was at the window outside the classroom and was apparently busy playing around. She was trying to hold her entire body in the air by holding onto the windowsill but was not doing a very good job of it. She grinned when the teacher approached. "I'm just hanging around"

As always, when a simple or vague answer is given to a question, another question inevitably follows "Why?"

"I'm waiting for Kagami. She and Ms. Sakuraba are still talking in there. Class rep stuff" Misao explained

At that exact moment, Hikaru Sakuraba and Kagami Hiiragi opened the door to 3-C. Kagami was holding a stack of thirty or so notebooks while Ms. Sakuraba held two very large text books "Ah, perfect timing. Kusakabe, take this and bring it wherever Kagami is bringing it" She handed the books to her. "I'll see you three on Monday" She smiled and walked away

Misao stood with two heavy books in her hands and a very confused look on her face. "What just happened?"

"You, my dear student, just got hired to do manual labor" Kuroi said cheekily before walking away as well. "I'll leave you to it"

As Kuroi exited the building to the school parking lot, she noticed two students behind the gym. While curious about their business there, she decided it wasn't worth her effort. _I'm off the clock. Whatever they're doing, it's not my problem anymore. _She got in her car and left for home.

_Time for another weekend alone at home…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Here" Minami said, helping Yutaka erase the upper half of the black board

"Thanks, Minami" Yutaka said cheerfully

The two of them, plus three other students, were part of the Class 1-D clean-up crew for that day. It's quite convenient that they ended up together when you think about it.

"Kobayakawa-san, Iwasaki-san, we're done on our end. We'll leave the rest to you two" Two boys from the back of the room were packing their bags getting ready to leave

"What about me!?" A girl cleaning the windows shouted, distressed at the thought of being left behind.

"Then finish faster" The two left the room

"Guys!" The girl sighed and looked at the two at the front of the classroom

Minami was staring intently at the girl. After a few seconds, the mint haired girl glanced to the door that the boys had left from. She returned to sweeping the room shortly after.

The girl paled when she realized Iwasaki was staring at her. Did she do something to offend her? Had she and her friends been too loud? She must think they didn't do enough work! All of this swirled in the girls mind as she panicked before she was snapped out of it by a very small girl.

Yutaka Kobayakawa beamed at her. "It's okay. Go to your friends. We can take care of things here"

The girl glanced at Minami. The mint haired girl returned the glance and nodded before returning to her work.

"Thank you" The girl took her things and quickly vacated the room.

"That was a nice thing to do Minami" Yutaka said. Minami nodded sadly "Don't worry. She just misunderstood you." Yutaka said in an attempt to reassure her. Minami nodded once more and continued sweeping the already clean floor.

The shorter girl frowned and moved to finish cleaning the windows. After a few minutes, Minami decided to help, scrubbing the upper half of the glass. They were finished in no time

"All done" Yutaka said happily. It wasn't often she was able to help out. Normally, she'd struggle with sweeping or some similar task for a few minutes before someone took pity on her and did the work for her. It was a nice change to actually be able to see her task though to the end, albeit with help – required because of her height.

"Great work" Minami said, with a rare smile on her lips. "Shall we go?" She asked as she began packing her bag.

She stared dreamily into Minami's smiling face for a few minutes before Minami's question registered to her brain. Yutaka's face heated up. "In a minute" Yutaka rushed for her bag and began packing.

The taller girl giggled at her girlfriend's antics – another uncommon occurrence. Yutaka's blush deepened. "L-let's go"

They closed the door, locked it and made their way out.

**LUCKY STAR**

The discussion about what Class 3-B would do for the festival was a lively one

"Awww! Why can't we do a swim suit café!? It would be awesome!" Konata shouted "We've got a sexy glasses-girl that just oozes moe! How can we go wrong with that!?"

With a blush Miyuki coughed. "It… it would be a little embarrassing, wouldn't you think?" She fidgeted in her seat. "I don't have the confidence to wear something as revealing as a swimsuit here in school…"

"Me neither…" Tsukasa agreed.

The light in Konata's eyes dimmed but the enthusiasm soon returned. "What about a maid café?" She suggested

"Class 2-E already turned in a form for that. We can't also be a maid café." Miyuki commented

"Who cares? We've got a bigger budget and we also have more variety!" The blue haired otaku stood on the table and pointed at Miyuki. "The well-endowed bespectacled-beauty!" She pointed at Tsukasa "The clumsy and lovable airhead!" and then she beat her chest proudly "And me, the energetic loli-otaku!" She pointed up towards the ceiling "Our class is the superior class! We will challenge the class of 2-E and we will win, or die trying! Just who do you think we are!?"

Miyuki and Tsukasa were in awe and confusion at Konata's passionate speech. Not knowing how to react, they simply clapped, praising the performance.

The short girl jumped off the table and returned to her seat. "So does that mean we're fighting to see who the better maid café is?"

"No" Miyuki said simply "It's against the rules for two classes to do the same thing for the festival"

Konata blinked "huh… didn't think about that…"

Right then, Tsukasa jumped "I've got it!"

"Got an idea I see" Konata asked.

Tsukasa nodded quickly, lavender hair shaking wildly "Yes, yes I do!"

Konata turned to Miyuki who had an amused look on her face. She glanced at Konata as if to say _'well? Ask her what it is'._ Konata grinned. "Okay, I'll bite. What is it, Tsukasa?"

"We do a play!"

Konata and Miyuki looked at each other. Both saw that the other was up for it. Will that be what their class does for the festival? The two smiled. They hoped so. Too bad they won't be able to vote on it till Monday.

**LUCKY STAR**

"So…" Misao dumped the two books onto Ms. Sakuraba's desk in the empty faculty room. "Do you do this kind of thing a lot?"

"Unfortunately…" Kagami said as she neatly arranged the stack of notebooks on the table. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that teachers think they can depend on me, but still, spending time to work for teachers is still spent time. You'd think they'd rather have students using their time on studying than running errands."

"Yeah." Misao agreed "Speaking of which…"

"You remembered? Wonderful" Kagami said dryly

"… was that-"

"Sarcasm? Yes. Yes it was" Kagami stretched before walking out the faculty room, locking the door "Anyway, how are we gonna be doing this tutoring thing. I didn't really think you were serious so I kinda forgot to prepare" Kagami lied. She was actually well set for this considering how much she helps her sister and Konata with their studies.

Misao stretched as well, yawning slightly. "It's cool. Just do whatever you do when you help out Imouto or Chibi"

Kagami cringed. _I really wish she didn't know that much about me… Well, can't make excuses. Regardless of how she got me to agree, a decision is still a decision, and I decided to help her, so I have to do this…_

After exchanging their shoes, they walked out the building. It had rained earlier and looking at the sky, it seemed that it was about to rain again. Kagami felt worried because of that. "Are you sure you want to do it today? You said Saturday when we made the bet."

"Eh…" Misao scratched her head "I'm busy this weekend. I won't have anything to do today so why not?"

"Why not…? Well, it's about to rain" Kagami said dryly

"Huh… didn't notice that" Misao said, looking up at the grey clouds overhead "Ah, who cares about the rain?"

"You might catch a cold." Kagami warned

"I'm pretty strong. I'm sure I can survive a little rain and not get sick" Misao waved off Kagami's worries

"… If you say so…" Kagami pulled her umbrella from her bag and readied it in case it started to pour. "C'mon. The longer we just stand here, the more likely we'll get caught in the rain"

"Heh, no need to tell me twice. Let's go!" Misao said enthusiastically

Kagami sighed. _I get the feeling that this'll be a long trip home…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"That was fun" Patricia said with a satisfied look

"Yeah…" Hiyori panted. She seemed really out of breath, not to mention was walking funny. "But… the back of the gym…? Really…? What if we got caught…?"

"Oh, don't be such a worrywart." Patricia dismissed her points "No one goes there"

"That's what you said last time" Hiyori retorted

"You enjoyed it didn't you?" Patricia asked with a sly smile

"I… er… yeah…"

"Then I don't see why you're complaining" Patricia checked her phone. "Oh, looks like I've got to go"

"Work?"

"Yup. See you on Monday" Patricia waved goodbye and Hiyori was left with lingering sensations, scents and thoughts of the girl who just left. _Is this love or lust? Ah who cares!? This blend of feeling is just what I needed to make the next chapters to my story all the better. Thank you Patricia._ Hiyori shook her head to clear her mind. No need for such thoughts when walking home, people might stare at her.

**LUCKY STAR**

"So how was school you two?" Tadao Hiiragi asked her daughters over dinner

"It was nice" Tsukasa said cheerfully

"Eh, same old same-old" Kagami replied dryly.

"I'd also like to know something…" Tadao began

"Yes, dad…" Kagami asked quietly

"Why is Misao Kusakabe eating dinner with us?"

"Well…" The twin-tailed girl sighed. "Misao, care to explain…?"

Misao who was wolfing down her food stopped abruptly. "… What?"

"Would you care to tell us why you have graced our dinner table with your presence?" Kagami asked sarcastically

"Oh…" Misao suppressed a burp and began talking "Well, I don't know if Kagami told you guys, but we had a sort of agreement that she'd tutor me every weekend. It was sorta supposed to be on Saturdays but I had plans. I came here with Kagami and studied for a few hours and when we finished and I was about to leave, it was raining really hard, so I stayed for a bit longer. I guess I waited too long because now the rain is REALLY pouring and you guys are having dinner. Thanks for the food by the way"

Tadao raised an eyebrow and looked at Kagami. Kagami looked back and said "Eh, what can I do?"

The father sighed. He figured he could help his daughter's friend. "I'll drive you home after dinner."

"Really? Thanks!" Once more, Misao dove into her food with much more gusto than she had previously – something the Hiiragis found, quite frankly, amazing.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Well, that was a chapter. Hope you enjoyed it – and if you didn't, well… *sigh* I don't blame you**

**Sorry that it's so short this week. Like I said a couple chapters ago, I'm in college and not only that, I'm an engineering student. I've got a mountain of homework that I haven't quite finished yet and prelim exams are next week. Suffice it to say, I don't have much time for this story. Expect me to still post another chapter next week anyway though.**

**Again, reviews are appreciated, especially ones that tell me my mistakes (spelling, grammar, or otherwise)**


	12. Inconvenient storm

**Well this is a surprisingly early update isn't it? Let's start off with some review replies**

**Guest  
Can you lend me some of that free time? I find I'm sort of lacking in that depertment.  
Anyway, yes, I do plan on continuing this. If it make it any better, I also plan on finishing it. Still haven't planned that far though, but I have the general idea.  
I too am a big fan of lucky star's fanfic section. It's a shame there are only three ongoing stories that are regularly updated (four if you count Luckier Star[btw, holy crap, 500k words and it's still on going? AC, are you some sort of writing god?]).  
Finally, thank you. It may not be obvious to you guys, but any review, positive or negative, is a major boost to my will to write. Again, thank you.**

**So in this chapter is set on Monday, two days since the last chapter. Hope you enjoy, and if you don't, I'm very sorry. Here's "Inconvenient Storm".**

**LUCKY STAR**

[Hiiragi residence, Kagami speaking.]

[Morning, Kagami. Since we don't have school today, do you and Tsukasa wanna go to Akihabara with me?]

[Konata, classes were canceled because a storm's gonna hit this afternoon…]

[If we go now we can probably make it back home before the storm hits]

[No, the trains are down and the roads are cleared in case we need to evacuate. I'm pretty sure the shops in Akiba will be closed too]

[You underestimate the otaku!]

[Either way, it's still a no. My parents wouldn't let me out even if I wanted to]

[What about Tsukasa?]

[Konata…]

[Aww, Kagami, you're no fun.]

[You better not go, you little pipsqueak. If I find out you went anyway… if you survive… if you…you…]

[Kagami, relax! I'm not going!]

[…]

[I'm not going. I'll stay at home. Nothing's gonna happen.]

[…o-okay…]

[… well… bye for now… see you tomorrow?]

[… s-sure… see you tomorrow…]

– Click –

**LUCKY STAR**

"Miyuki-nee-san, it's time for lunch" Minami said as she knocked on the door. With no response, she opened the door to find a dark room with Miyuki sitting on her bed, headphones covering her ears, and laptop casting the multi colored lights on Miyuki's face. Curious, Minami went in for a closer look.

She was apparently playing a video game and a rather hard one at that. It was a bullet hell shooter with brightly colored shapes of death practically covering the entire play area – and Miyuki was dodging every last one of them.

The mint haired girl watched in awe for a few minutes before Miyuki finished. "Nee-san. Lunch is ready" Minami turned on the lights

"Oh, Minami-san. I didn't see you there." Miyuki blinked, adjusting to change in ambient lighting. "I'll be down in a bit."

"What were you playing?"

"It was a video game Konata introduced to me called Touhou. It's actually quite engaging. Nearly all of the boss fights have fairly simple attack patterns despite their apparent difficulty and it's quite satisfying to use it to my advantage." Miyuki giggled "If you'd like, I'll give you a copy."

Minami smiled and nodded

The two went down for lunch

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa knocked on Kagami's door "Sis, it's time for lunch…" No response "Sis…?" Opening the door, the younger twin found her sister in a fetal position on her bed. She rushed to her side. "Sis, what's wrong?"

It took some time for Kagami to respond "… it's nothing. Just me worrying too much again…"

Tsukasa looked at her with concern. "… Is it because of the storm?"

"… Yeah…" Kagami seemed to pull herself into a ball even tighter "… and Konata"

"Konata?"

"She wanted to go to that anime district… It's already raining and the storms about to hit. What if she went anyway?"

Tsukasa's worry increased "Konata didn't really go did she?" She seemed to shrink at the thought "… I wouldn't like if she got hurt…"

Tsukasa frowned, eyes unfocused. The ever increasing anxiety on her face was alarming. You could almost see her train of thought – imagining scenario after scenario, getting progressively worst as time went on. It seemed _both_ twins suffered from the same curse of an overactive imagination.

Kagami clenched her teeth. Seeing her sister just as worried as she was seemed to make something click in the older twin. "C'mon" She pulled Tsukasa into a hug. "She's fine. Konata's not that stupid…" She said in an attempt to reassure Tsukasa – and at the same time, herself.

After a few minutes of holding each other, the two finally calmed down. Tsukasa squeaked "Lunch is ready…"

Kagami blinked. "What?"

**LUCKY STAR**

"Onee-chan, is something wrong?" Yutaka asked her otaku cousin who was sitting in front of her computer, deep in thought.

"I probably should have asked to come over to their house instead. I only wanted to spend time with them…" The bluenette muttered

Yutaka tapped her shoulder "Onee-chan?"

"Yu-chan!" Konata jumped "Didn't hear you come in… could have sworn I locked the door…"

"Um… the door was wide open"

"Really? Wow, I must be really out of it… Whoever's causing these gaps in my memory, I must put a stop to them!" Konata shouted "In all seriousness though, how'd you sneak up on me like that? You start ninja training or something?"

"I don't know. You were staring intently at your computer screen. It was turned off so I thought maybe something was wrong… _Is there_ something wrong?"

"Eh… It's Kagami. I was on the phone with her and I think she was about to have a panic attack…"

Yutaka gasped. She had seen one of those before when she was confined to the hospital. She'd never quite heard or seen something so full of fear and pain since then. "Is she alright?"

"I managed to prevent it" Konata sighed.

"Is she taking any medication for that?" Yutaka asked

"There's medicine for that?"

"Er… It depends"… Yutaka explained that there are many causes of panic attacks and no known form of medication would completely prevent it without bad side effects.

"Huh, never knew you were so… well…" Konata struggled to find the word but Yutaka understood what she was saying.

"Back when I stayed at the hospital, some of the patients would talk to me. I learned what I know now from them. They're really nice people. I wish they didn't have to suffer so much though…"

"Ah, that's my Yu-chan. The closest thing to an angel if I've ever seen one"

Yutaka blushed "Oneee-chaaan. Stop it, it's embarrassing."

Konata patted her head "Ain't you cute. I bet Minami would love to see you this flustered." she teased

"Stoooop it." Yutaka pleaded.

"Okay, okay." The bluenette relented "I was serious though. You're the nicest person I've known. Still the closest thing to an angel."

"Oneeeee-chaan!"

"Right!" Konata clapped her hands "Let's have lunch"

"… Eh?"

She took Yutaka by the shoulders, spun her to face the door, and began pushing. "To the kitchen!"

**LUCKY STAR**

It was less than an hour past the point where the hurricane hit the city. A number of structures had already been vacated due to them not being able to handle the storm. Luckily, the Hiiragi household was not one of those buildings. The family was inside having a little snack to calm their nerves.

"The rains coming down pretty heavily" Kagami noted.

Indeed, the sound of rain was akin to that of a waterfall – loud and constant. There was little to no wind but the torrent of water kept falling ceaselessly. It threatened to flood the pond that they had in the backyard.

"Tsukasa, have you readied your stuff in case we have to evacuate?" Kagami asked her sister

The said twin was in the middle of eating some cake. Kagami's question caused Tsukasa to drop her fork. "Huh? We have to evacuate?"

"Kagami, don't be so pessimistic. We'll be fine. A little rain will be no problem" Tadao said reassuringly.

"I don't know dad. This doesn't look like _a little_ rain." Kagami commented. She looked worriedly out the window to the street below. The raindrops were like bullets, pounding heavily on the ground. "This is the hardest I've ever seen it pour…"

"Everything will be okay, Kagami" Tadao said in a way so calm and sure that Kagami almost believed him – almost.

She had an unrelenting fear that the hurricane would get stronger, else, not lose intensity. It was illogical, though. Whenever storms passed over land, they lose both speed and water mass. It would be impossible for the storm to get stronger – and Kagami knew that. Yet for whatever reason, a nagging voice in her head was telling her to run from wherever they were as fast as possible. Unfortunately she could not see into the future so she had no choice but to act on the information she had – and the information she had told her she was safe.

"I hope you're right dad…" The twin tailed girl continued looking out the window "I hope you're right…"

**LUCKY STAR**

The storm windows in the Iwasaki Manor were all locked, the owners' valuable placed in a safe on the second floor, and the building vacated.

Everyone from the manor moved into the Takara residence, which was better equipped for weathering such weather (They had a generator, a water pump, a raised ground floor, a large stock of food and drinking water, and reinforced walls and windows – you'd think they were paranoid what with how prepared they were)

"This is wonderful weather we're having isn't it" Miyuki said

Minami blinked. She tilted her head in confusion

Miyuki sighed in disappointment "Hmm, the joke was a lot funnier in my head…"

Minami and Miyuki were lazing around in Miyuki's room. They had been there for three hours, playing video games, cards, and various other activities to alleviate their boredom. Unfortunately, they have exhausted all of their 'fun' options to kill time and were left with word games that neither was enjoying as much as they'd like to.

"Try as we might to kill time, in the end, it is time that kills us" Minami said

"Oh, that was a good one" Miyuki commented "Very philosophical"

As was stated before, they were not having as much fun as they'd like.

The pinkette sighed. "Minami-san, forgive my rudeness, but I'm bored" She plopped onto her bed, defeated. "I give up. I'm sorry"

Minami gave an amused smile. With a sigh and a shrug, she laid down on the bed as well.

It wasn't long before the world turned black

**LUCKY STAR**

[Hey Kagami]

[Konata? What is it this time?]

[Are your lights turned on?]

[Uh… yeah, why?]

[Not for long, they won't]

[What? Konata, you're not making any-]

– Click –

**LUCKY STAR**

"Who was that?" Matsuri asked

"Konata. She was asking about some nonsense with our lights" Kagami said in annoyance.

"Oh? What'd she say?" Matsuri grinned slyly as she egged her on

"She asked if our lights were on and then said they won't be for long" She grumbled

"Alright, I've gotta agree with you there. Doesn't really make much sense. It's not like she can predict the future so I don't see a point to that phone-"

At that exact moment, the lights went off.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me" Kagami muttered

**LUCKY STAR**

[Hello. Izumi residence]

[God dammit, Konata, how'd you do that!?]

[Oh, Kagami. I'm guessing you had a black out too?]

[Too? So you're saying-]

[Yup. My neighborhood has absolutely no power]

[Why are there black outs all of a sudden? There isn't even any wind to knock down transformers.]

[I think they're cutting the power in case that _does_ happen – kinda stupid if you ask me. But its better safe than sorry, I guess.]

[*sigh* okay, fine whatever…]

[Hey Kagami…]

[Yeah?]

[Sorry about earlier…]

[Oh… that's okay Konata. I know you're not stupid so you wouldn't really do it. Just don't joke about that stuff in the future.]

**LUCKY STAR**

"Onee-chan! What's going on!?" Yutaka cried from the top of the steps.

Yutaka was climbing down the stairs when the lights suddenly went out. Losing sight of the steps and railing, she basically began to panic, though it took time for her cry out her distress.

The sound of footsteps at the bottom of the stairs alerted Yutaka to Konata's presence. "Relax, Yu-chan! We're fine. Our power was just cut." Konata said calmly.

The small girl took the smaller girl's hand and slowly walked her down the stairs. "There. That wasn't so bad was it?" Yutaka shook her head but Konata couldn't see.

"I'll take your silence as a 'no'. Anyway…" The sound of rummaging was heard. "Where did I put that cellphone of mine…? Ah, here it is!"

Suddenly a bright light shone into Yutaka's eyes. "AH!" the red-head blinked several times, blinded by the sudden light.

"Good thing this little guy has a flash light. Now where are the candles…?" Konata muttered as she began to look for the said candles

**LUCKY STAR**

"Oh, it looks like the generator kicked in" Miyuki noted as she sat up on her bed

Minami sat up as well and looked worriedly at the sealed window "Why?"

"I suppose they cut the power because the possibility that power lines could be knocked down" the pinkette hypothesized. "It's rather ill advised, though. From the sound of the rain hitting our roof, there doesn't seem to be any wind that would likely cause such an event to occur"

Minami made no response. She simply looked at the closed storm shutters, subtle worry etched lightly on her face. With a slight frown, she looked at Miyuki.

The glasses-girl studied the mint-haired girl closely. As far as Miyuki could tell, Minami had a look of anxiety and longing, and when the girl turned to face her, a look of helplessness was also detectable. _She's thinking of Yutaka…_ "I'm sure Yutaka-san's fine" Miyuki reassured her. "She isn't as helpless as you think she is. Besides, Konata-san is with her"

Minami frowned, not quite convinced. She brought her legs up onto the bed and went into a fetal position "I want to be with her…"

The older girl smiled sadly. She put her arm around the younger's shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "It may not be the same, but big sister is here for you too"

Minami wasn't keen on physical affection or really any form of physical contact. Even simple handshakes weren't very favorable to her so it's not often you see people touch her. That said, physical contact was much more important to Minami than it is to most people.

"Nee-san…" Minami leaned into Miyuki. "Thank you…"

"You'll see her again, Minami…"

**LUCKY STAR**

**And that's another very short chapter released four to six days in advance because I happened to get three hours of free time when two of my Profs decided they weren't going to show up for school that day. Also, it's to compensate for the… well, very short chapter we had two days ago.**

**Anyway, prelims were moved back a week for some reason and a couple hours of free time opened up for me. Expect another chapter this Sunday/Monday.**


	13. The storm's aftermath

**So here's another chapter (Been making fairly quick updates recently, haven't I?)**

**So here's the aftermath of that storm in the previous chapter, imaginatively titled "The storm's aftermath"**

**LUCKY STAR**

"We're pretty lucky we weren't flooded" Kagami noted that morning during a rather early breakfast.

The previous day, a hurricane passed through the region. The said storm wasn't very strong in terms of wind speeds but the downpour it caused had resulted in floods all throughout its area of influence. That said, yes, the Hiiragis _were_ pretty lucky they were spared from an overabundance of water in the lower levels of their house.

"Yeah, I guess…" Tsukasa said glumly.

Earlier, when she was making breakfast, the younger twin was cheery and full of energy. For whatever reason, when she started eating that breakfast, she began seeming less and less lively. _The cooking must have been the only thing that was keeping her happy…_ Kagami guessed. _As for what's keeping her sad… well, I'm pretty sure I know what it is._

"C'mon, Tsukasa. Cheer up. Remember, you're gonna see Konata again today"

Tsukasa blinked, swallowed her food, and blinked again. The beginnings of a hopeful smile began to form on her lips. _Bingo_. Kagami afforded herself a satisfied grin.

"I really do hope that" The airhead said

"Don't hope. Expect." Kagami stated happily "We're both gonna be meeting our girlfriends again today. Smile, why don't you?"

While Tsukasa eventually did smile from Kagami's reassurance, the older twin frowned from a sudden thought. _How's Misao doing? Look at me, worrying my mind away for another person and yet not once did I think of my own girlfriend! What's wrong with me!? And Misao, what's happened with her? Is she alright? Did she get flooded? What if she doesn't come to school today? What if she's been hospitalized!? What if it's serious!? What if she's dying? If she's dying… I… What would I do I she died…? If she dies… died… die… I can't… I just… I… I…_

Kagami blinked when Tsukasa suddenly forced a bit of rice into her mouth with her chopsticks. "If Konata's fine, I'm sure Misao will be fine as well" The younger twin said calmly. The older twin simply nodded quietly.

Tsukasa, as was stated before, was surprisingly good at reading people's moods despite being in an almost constant daze. She had already felt that aura of anxiety emanate from Kagami before so she was quick to deal with it when she felt it again– something the twin-tailed girl was very grateful to her sister for.

_She's fine, Kagami. You'll see her again later at school… but what if I don't – darn it! Stop that! _Kagami shook her head. She took a deep breath and continued eating.

Breakfast started subdued and remained so all throughout the meal.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, the lights work again!" Konata was ecstatic at the return of the house's electricity. "And there's probably no school today so…" Konata grinned and made a dash for the computer. She turned it on and immediately ran her MMO program the moment she finished booting.

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki slowly opened her eyes to see a half-asleep Minami in the bed facing her. "*yawn* good morning Minami-san" She stretched her arms upward in a vain attempt to sit up

"Good morning nee-san" Minami said drowsily. With enviable ease, she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She saw the older girl struggle to get up so she gave her a little help.

The two had shared a bed that night. This was nothing new however.

In the past, the two had sleepovers every now and again. Due to the nightmares Minami often had at that time, Miyuki would normally be woken up late into the night by a very scared mint haired girl who needed a hug and some calming words. It became a habit for both of them to sleep in the same bed when they slept in the same room. Somehow, it stuck with them all the way to high school.

As they returned to full consciousness, they noticed a certain silence they didn't have last night. "Hmm… it's no longer raining." Miyuki noted. "Shall we go check the damage outside?"

Minami yawned and nodded.

Miyuki opened the storm shutters and assessed state of their front yard. While she was not pleased, she was, however, relieved. The street was a mess of leaves and other such items, most likely brought down by the heavy rain, but thankfully it was not flooded.

"I think it's reasonable to say that we won't have school today" The pinkette guessed.

Sure, the amount of debris in their neighborhood was inconvenient, but it was manageable. If she were to look at some of the busier and/or less well maintained parts of the city, the amount of debris would probably be… a bit _more_ than inconvenient (not to mention the fact that there have been floods in various parts of the area). No school? Reasonable indeed.

"Shall we have breakfast?" Miyuki suggested

Minami nodded her agreement and the two went down to prepare breakfast.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Masaru!"

"What is it, gramps!?"

"Wake your sister up! Someone's on the phone for her!"

Usually, Misao would be the first one up in the morning. This time was a bit different due to a certain detail about her: She was scared of storms – to be particular, scared of hurricanes.

For whatever reason, she considers the gigantic masses of swirling vapor in the sky ready to drop enough water to flood various parts of the city - that is, a hurricane – to be threatening. It just so happened that the threat is a natural phenomenon that cannot be controlled.

Whenever there's a storm, she feels helpless. She can't run away; she can't fight it. She has no choice but to sit and wait. That scares her.

With that said, she had an awful night's sleep. The normally energetic girl awoke with a heavy mind and a haggard body, as if sleep would cause one to lose energy than to gain it. I guess you can say she woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Her internal pain of both mind and matter was put aside when the door to her room was opened. "Aww man, what happened to _you_!?" Masaru scowled in disgust.

Misao glared menacingly, baring her fang, which looked a lot sharper that it normally did.

The boy raised his hands and backed away "Hey, no need to go feral. You got a phone call. A certain Hiiragi girl."

The sister's expression softened, turning from a snarl of pain and anger to a neutral face of thought and mild discomfort. "I'll be down in a bit…" she said weakly.

Misao grimaced. She was barely strong enough to sit up, much less stand, she pressed on. _Why do I feel so week?_ She asked herself as she struggled to stand.

"Take your time. It's not like I'm the one making her lover wait" Masaru chuckled "I'll be sure to let her know you'll be delayed" He exited the room, leaving the door open.

Misao sighed in annoyance – because of Masaru AND because of the headache and muscle sores she somehow got overnight for no logical reason. She shook her head and forced herself to reach the phone.

**LUCKY STAR**

_Sis went to Misao's to take care of her…_

Her father and older sisters went to check on the shine that morning while Kagami, after calling her girlfriend, went to the Kusakabe residence to take care of Misao. So, Tsukasa was left alone in the house – with alone being relative (technically, Miki was still home, doing housework and what not, but she was busy and didn't seem to want any help, even when Tsukasa offered to give her a hand)

Tsukasa sat on her bed, not quite sure of what to do. She still felt a bit anxious about how Konata was doing but she otherwise felt fine.

The lavender haired girl sighed and grabbed the closest stuffed animal from the intimidatingly large pile-of-stuffed-animals on her bed.

When she was younger, around five years of age, she started giving every stuffed animal she received a personality and backstory based on the recent events from when she got the said toy. When she got another one, she'd try to relate the new one's story to the others. That particular habit never died down. As her collections of dolls increased, the stories behind them became more and more elaborate. Fast forward to eighteen-years old, she had an imaginative world of unbelievable scale, inhabited by her stuffed animals and all their fictional relatives, friends, and enemies.

She often got lost in that fictional world. She could spend literally hours in her dreamscape, basking in the light of an imaginary sun, solving disputes between her dozens of fluffy toys, and overall, ignoring reality. She knew her kingdom of fluffy animals wasn't real. She return to the real world any time if she wanted. It's just that there have been very few things to make her want to leave.

Tsukasa's preference to her imaginary paradise over real life made it quite easy for her to escape reality but for reasons unknown to her, she couldn't make the metaphorical jump.

Tsukasa looked at the stuffed toy with confusion. It was a small purple puppy doll that Tsukasa got from Konata for her birthday that year. The girl tilted her head and thought of the back story she gave the dog

_The Puppy was a prince who sought a princess. One day, he rode off in search for one. Because of his curiosity, he fell into a pit trap and ended up stuck in a hole for an entire day. When morning came, he awoke to find that there was a princess – also and stuffed animal, this time a blue cat – with a large excavator at the mouth of the hole, trying to get him out. When the prince was saved, he knelt before the princess. He thanked her and then asked for her hand in marriage. The princess went "Sure, why not?" and they both lived happily ever after._

Tsukasa blinked. _Huh, I never noticed how that last part of the story was so much like what happened to me and Konata…_ She smiled. _I hope the happily ever after comes true as well._

Her thoughts were shattered when the sudden vibration of her cellphone caused her to jump. _Oh, a text._

**LUCKY STAR**

"*Yawn* Good morning, Onee-chan" Yutaka greeted as she walked into Konata's room.

"Oh, Yu-chan, perfect timing!" The small girl swiveled her computer chair to face the smaller girl. "I got a text from Miyuki. She said we're welcome to visit her today."

Yutaka tilted her head "Okay?" it took a couple of seconds but, in time, understanding dawned on her face – and from understanding came joy. "Really?"

"You wanna go?" Konata asked, to which, Yutaka nodded eagerly. Konata resisted the urge to gush over the intensely cute actions of the girl in front of her. "Right then. We'll go in an hour. Still have to make some food for when Dad comes home"

Joy was replaced with worry. "Uncle Sojiro hasn't come back yet?"

Sojiro Izumi was the provider for the Izumi home; he was also financially troubled. Thus, he continued working regardless the storm – a rather dumb and dangerous move on both his part and his employer's.

"He's fine. Don't worry" Konata said off handedly "He probably fell asleep on the train again"

_But the train wasn't running yesterday…_ Yutaka thought in confusion.

She blinked. There was a certain aura in the room she normally didn't feel around Konata. Was that anxiety? Yes. Yutaka felt it. Konata was anxious but ignoring what was troubling her, probably doing her best to not think of what might have happened to her father that night.

Come to think of it, Sojiro had never told the kids what his new job was - just another reason why Konata would be worried.

"Make something tasty, then. He'll really appreciate it when he gets home" Yutaka said encouragingly. Her cousin responded with a grin before running down to make the food. The red-head sensed slight relief from the girl that left. She smiled sadly. _I hope uncle's okay…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Geez, Misao. What did you even DO this weekend?" Kagami asked sternly as she put a wet towel on her girlfriend's forehead. "For the twelve years I've known you, not once have you ever gotten this sick before today."

"For the twelve year's I've known you, not once have you ever been this concerned about me…" Misao chucked weakly. "I should get sick more often…"

Kagami poked her cheek. "You idiot…" The twin tailed girl sighed.

Kagami decided to go to Misao's house because of the call she gave her. From the sound of her voice alone, Kagami knew she wasn't feeling well. Misao was a hard girl to bring down – even when sick, she STILL has more energy than the average human being. With that said, our little tsundere did not like the fact that Misao sounded tired. She liked even less the state in which her girlfriend was in when she got there.

_She's looks so pained I can almost feel it myself… _Kagami winced when Misao suddenly coughed. _It hurts to see her this way. Can't I help any more…?_

Sadly, she couldn't. She wasn't a doctor and Misao refused to go see one when Kagami suggested it. Whatever her problem was, the normally energetic girl had to face it alone – a feat Kagami believed to be unfair to her. Thus, she decided to nurse her back to health.

_Come to think of it, Misao's right. I've never fret about her health this much before, so why am I doing it now? Maybe I care more about her than I thought… Realizing what she just though, _Kagami shook her head_. No. It's all because of how serious her condition is… Yeah. That's the reason._

Another pained laugh escaped Misao's lips. "You're blushing…" She teased. "You look cute"

"W-well… YOU'RE blushing too, and not in a cute way, either" Kagami retorted, noting how Misao's fever was making her red. "Now stop talking and rest"

"Heh. Okay…" With a shallow breath, the sick girl agreed, not exactly in a position to argue. "Just wake me up for lunch…" She closed her eyes and drifted off into slumber

"You know, I kinda like this new sick-Misao" A voice said behind Kagami. The twin-tailed girl turned to see Masaru leaning on the door frame. "Seeing her weak like this is a breath of fresh air to be honest"

"What do you want, Masaru?" She asked dryly.

"Oh, nothing, just wanted to see her like this. It's not often she looks like shit." He chuckled before leaving. After taking two steps out of view, he leaned back in and added "We have lunch at eleven. You might want to bring the food to her than the other way around. Just sayin"

Kagami blinked. _Well… that was an uncharacteristically helpful thing to tell me…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good morning, Tsukasa-senpai" Minami greeted "Is Kagami-senpai with you"

"Morning, Minami-chan" Tsukasa replied cheerfully. "No. Sis had to do something"

Minami nodded and let the girl in. "Did you encounter any trouble getting here?"

The older girl thought for a bit. "Well, there were a lot of fallen leaves and pieces of metal."

Once again, Minami nodded. "The others will probably get here in a few minutes. Would you like anything?"

"Oh, where's Yuki-chan?" Tsukasa asked with a slight tilt of her head

"Miyuki-nee-chan's in the kitchen, cooking"

"Oh, wonderful! I think I'll go there for a while"

Minami pointed her in the direction of the kitchen. As the older girl ran off, Minami was once again alone in the foyer, waiting for her other guests to arrive.

Cheery, her pet dog walked up to her and sat by her side. She patted the animal's head affectionately. With a satisfied whine and a wag of its tail, Cherry lied down and went to sleep. Minami smiled_. No. Not alone…_ She continued to wait, not quite as lonely as she once was.

**LUCKY STAR**

**So that was a chapter, wasn't it? Hope you enjoyed it. If you didn't, well, I don't blame you. It's not exactly amazing…**

**Remember when I said I wrote in sprints? I guess, to take full advantage of that particular detail, I should write 1-3k word chapters twice a week instead of forcing myself to make a 6k word chapter once a week. I write most of my long chapters in two goes anyway.**

**I'm a bit irked that I wasn't able to write the lucky channel segment two chapters ago… I want to add it but…**

**Ah, whatever. Expect another chapter within the following week.**


	14. Of lunch and love

**It time for another update but first…**

**wingsofseyfert12**

**OhmygodOhmygodOhmygodOhmygod. Senpai noticed me!  
All that aside,I think I can see that problem. I'm not very good with description and end up reusing certain phrases over and over. Back in highschool, I was the script writer for several skits that my class was unfortunately required to make. It was good practice but I guess it made my problem with writing things with dialogue and the things in between a bit... larger? I don't know. I think I should just keep practicing.  
As for for the positives, well, I'm having trouble with your praise because now I'm sure I'll disappoint you...  
Konata and Tsukasa's little experiment DID cause a domino effect. While not everyone ended up getting someone, we can see that the first years end up walking in their senpais' footsteps. Miki being Yuri? Well, I've got a back story that is both cliche, overdramatic, and predictable. I'm sticking to it though.**

**Now, 2k words worth to describe the 3 hours between 11am and 2pm. 'Of lunch and love' everybody. For what you enjoy, you're welcome; what you don't enjoy, I'm sorry.**

**LUCKY STAR**

"Yo, Mina-"

"Minami!" Yutaka cut Konata's greeting by jumping into Minami's arms "I missed you"

The mint hair girl returned the hug with a neutral expression on her face. "… Good morning Yutaka. Good morning Konata-senpai" She closed her eyes slowly as she began stroking the redhead's hair.

_Is she enjoying the hug or is she just doing it to make Yu-chan feel better?_ Konata wondered. _I'm guessing it's both but you can never tell with these stoic-types… _She shrugged and continued inside. _If I were Tsukasa, where would I be…? _The bluenette smiled as she thought of a destination. _The kitchen._

"Oh, Tsukaasaaaa~" Konata chimed as she entered the room. Her arrival was met with a flash followed by the smell of something burning. "… Is this a bad time…?"

"Well…" Miyuki coughed "That little experiment went quite a lot worse than I expected it to…"

"What just exploded…?" Konata asked, noting the uncomfortably large column of fire rising out of the frying pan. "… And is that the Flame of Heaven or something?"

"An attempted desert…" Miyuki sighed. "It seems we own certain ingredients that react quite violently when mixed with each other…"

"I think it was the stove" Tsukasa voiced. "It wasn't on fire before we put it on."

The pinkette nodded and proceeded to close the stove's valve. The blue flame under the pan disappeared but the raging inferno of orange and yellow over it remain alight. "… Oh dear…"

"Water?" The short girl suggested

"This is an oil based fire" Miyuki said, remembering that the ingredients did in fact include cooking oil. "I suggest we get a fire extinguisher"

"Why does it have to be a fire extinguisher?" Tsukasa asked with a tilt of her head

"Hmm…" Miyuki thought for a bit "Fire requires three things to stay alight: heat, oxygen, and something to burn. Remove one, and the fire will no longer burn. Water is used to both remove oxygen and heat from the fuel source, but since the source is oil based, water isn't very effective. We own a foam fire extinguisher which is designed to spay a foamy substance onto the fire, creating a barrier between the oxygen and fuel. These types of extinguishers are most effective is kitchens"

"Wow, Miyuki. You must know everything" Tsukasa said, once again, in awe of the glasses-girl's knowledge

"I don't know _everything._ I only know what I know" Miyuki said modestly

Konata's jaw dropped. "You… did you just…"

"I'm sorry?" The pinkette sweat dropped. That was the second time he used that phrase and the second time she got a reaction like that.

"That was an anime reference!" Konata shouted. Jumping up and down with enthusiasm.

Miyuki couldn't help but blush "Really? I never knew"

"Yes, it was! Tsubasa Hanekawa from The Monogatari series!"

"… I'm sorry I'm not familiar with anime…"

Konata sighed in defeat. Looks like, once again, she was the only one to get the references.

_But it won't stay that way for long._ "Tsukasa, I have, in my bag, an anime that we will watch. We will watch all of it and we will do it today!" The otaku demanded, to which Tsukasa happily complied.

"Nee-san. Is lunch ready ye-" Minami and Yutaka entered the room to see an open flame the size of a basketball burning brightly on a frying pan with her three upperclassmen talking among themselves as if the fire was not real. "… You should put that out…"

Miyuki turned to the door when the mint haired girl approached. "Oh, Minami, go set the table. Lunch is ready"

"Put that out…"

"Put what out…?"

Minami just stared at the three of them. How can they idly chat when there was a veritable guarantee for a burned down house literally right in front of them?

"Oh my! I forgot!" Miyuki shouted as she remembered. She quickly ran to get the fire extinguisher. "Set the table. I'll deal with this…!"

The four of them blinked. Were they were going to set the table while Miyuki went to get the tool to put out the fire, all the while, said fire would continue to burn, virtually untouched…?

Sure. Why not?

They took the frying pan and carefully placed it so that is sat where it couldn't burn anything (at least not yet.) and began setting up the table.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Misao, I'm glad you're resting now, but it's time for lunch." Kagami, holding on to Misao's lunch, poked the sleeping girl's cheek. "Wake up… wake up…" The twin-tailed girl sighed. She went to her bag and pulled out a light novel. She sat next to Misao and began reading.

After a few minutes, Misao began to stir. "Aww man, my aching head…" She struggled to sit up. "How long was I out…?"

"A little over an hour" Kagami replied noting how the wall clock said 11:18. Kagami leaned over to the nightstand where she left the tray of food. "C'mon. You need to eat"

Once again, a pained chuckle escaped from the sick girl. "Thanks…"

With a clap of her hands and a strained "Itadakimasu", she began eating, though not quite as voraciously as she normally did.

"I'm still wondering why… you're going this far… to take care of me…" Misao said "I'm sure gramps and gran… would be fine to take care of me… on their own"

The lavender-haired girl clenched her teeth. She was doing this because of guilt – guilt she herself had caused her to feel. "I'm not a bad person, right…?" She asked quietly

Her mind may have been sluggish in understanding the question, but once she did, Misao gave an immediate answer. "Nah… You're actually pretty nice… on the inside…" She tilted her head. "Besides… You're helping me with this… aren't you…?"

"No… It's not like that…" Kagami said as she wiped some rice off of Misao's cheek. "As a girlfriend… and a bad person?"

After finishing her food, (something she could still do faster than the average teenage girl despite her apparent sickness) Misao thought for a bit. "Yes, you're a bad girlfriend." She stated bluntly.

Kagami didn't understand why but the words Misao spoke sent a pain to her heart she had never felt before. Actually, she HAD felt it before, but never that strong. _I knew it… All those things Konata told me… Words that reassured me… They were lies, weren't they…? Misao hates me… she said it herself… I'm a terrible girlfriend…_

As Kagami's mind began to spiral, Misao just stared at her, eyes unfocused. "You're a terrible girlfriend… You push me away when I try to get close… You get angry when I compliment you… You won't even return my 'I love you's…"

Kagami began to shake. Misao practically saw the twin-tailed girl's train of thought as it sped out of control – she saw but she did not understand. She continued speaking. "You're my girlfriend but you don't even love me…"

That's what did it. Kagami put her hands on her head, breathing heavy, shaking violently, and grasping at her hair with all her might. Imagine Kagami's surprise when the sick girl put her arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "But I don't care… I've been in love with you for six years… Knowing you're mine… and I'm yours… Nothing makes me happier… except being with you…"

Kagami continued shaking, but it wasn't as tense as it was before. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Not a single sob was heard from the girl but her mind was screaming. _Why!? Why do you keep doing this!? I'm a terrible girlfriend! I've lost count how many times I've said it made no sense for you to want me! Why do you keep wanting me!?_ She closed her eyes slowly in an attempt to stop the waterworks_. I don't even love you…_ Kagami opened her eyes. _Right…?_

Her shivering gained a fervent vigor_. If it hurts me so much that I don't return her feelings, why don't I? _The image of Konata flashed upon her mind. _She has someone else. She told me herself that I have to let her go._ But no, Konata's face burned itself into her brain and refused to be forgotten. _Fine, who says I can't love two people…? _She blinked. _I said that, didn't I…? Damn it, why am I so stupid!? I have to 'choose' one of them? Yeah right. I'll choose them both!_

Kagami began to laugh. At first it was a chuckle, but then it got louder and louder – eventually she became hysteric. "I can't believe I was being so stupid!" The returned the hug Misao was giving her. "I'll be a good girlfriend from now on Misao. Just wait and see… Misao?"

Kagami laid the girl onto the bed only to find that she was asleep. "… Well… she DID have a drowsy look on her face when she was talking to me…" The tsundere looked at the sleeping girl's face fondly. I don't think it'll be hard to fall in love with her. I think I'm already on my way…

**LUCKY STAR**

The four of them sat in the dining room, having just finished their meal.

"… well that was an awkward lunch…" Konata commented.

Yukari, despite her daughter not saying anything about her two friends, knew that Konata and Tsukasa were dating. The annoyed look on the woman's face unnerved the two as they had never seen her show such a face before.

"You're mom's a bit scary, Yuki-chan" Tsukasa said shyly.

"I apologize. She's not very fond of homosexual relationships between girls. It brings back bad memories." Miyuki explained. "It actually gave Minami and Yutaka quite a lot of trouble a few months ago."

The older couple looked that the younger and tilted their heads. Minami and Yutaka nodded. "She was all polite before but it felt as though she hated us." Yutaka said quietly. "Now, it's feels the same but somehow it's not as strong"

"Really? It felt pretty strong to me" Tsukasa noted.

"Yeah. Back then, the aura was a whole lot stronger"

"I'm sorry you had to feel that"

The two girls, unaware that the others did not share their ability to read people's feelings, continued their conversation. The three others simply stared at the two.

"So, Minami. How far have you and Yu-chan gone" Konata asked with a sly grin. Minami blushed, betraying her embarrassment despite her neutral expression. "Am I right to assume that you'd done it already?"

The mint haired girl shook her head slowly, keeping her eyes trained at Konata. The otaku took it as a challenge as she too looked the other in the eye, signature cat smile forming on her lips. "Have you at least kissed?"

Minami didn't know why, but she humored the bluenette and continued the starring contest. "… Yes. We have… What about you?"

"Yeah, us too." Konata tip-toed to bring her face closer to the taller girl (although it only reached up to her collar) "How was it? Our first kiss was particularly intense. I'm rather curious about yours"

Minami blushed "No. It was just a peck…" she looked away.

"Yes! I win!" Konata jumped.

The taller girl blinked. "What?"

"I believe you two were having a staring contest." Miyuki said. "It was rather extreme seeing as both of you have been at it for at least a minute." The pinkette sighed. "I wish I could do that too but I'm afraid too much dust might enter my eyes…"

"Oh yeah. You don't like having things on your eyes." Konata snapped her fingers when she remembered.

The phone rang in the living room, the tune resounding all around the house.

"I'll get it" Miyuki said "I'll leave you four for now"

**LUCKY STAR**

"It's such a beautiful day out today" Ayano said. "To think that just yesterday, a storm passed"

She and Masaru were having a date. They were taking advantage of the fact that there was no school that day by wandering the local area.

"It would be even better if the shops were actually open…" Masaru complained.

He did not want to spend one of his free days wandering the city with nothing to do. He would have like it better if she had chosen to invite him to her house or asked to come over. At least if she had done that he'd have something to do at the respective place. Here, though? All he could do was watch random nobodies try to fix their neighborhood.

"Hey, this place was flooded earlier. Cut them a little slack" Ayano said sternly

She had never been out and about after a storm before so it was a new experience for her to see everyone take care of the aftermath.

She did not, however, want to wander the city alone. She'd have asked her sister to join her but they hadn't been seeing eye-to-eye for months now. That said, she went to her closest friend, Misao. She was unfortunately sick, so she asked her boyfriend instead.

She knew Masaru wouldn't enjoy going with her but she held on to the slim chance that he might be fine with it. It must have been a very slim chance since it was obvious from looking just at him that Masaru was bored out of his mind.

Ayano sighed. "If you're that bored, let's just go home." She wasn't about to put him through any more torture. That would mean she'd have to offer compensation of some sorts. She lamented the fact that she used up the favors Masaru had owed her.

"Finally!" The boy said in exasperation. "Any more and I'd have to ask for a reason not to leave"

Ayano smiled "… Oh, you'd leave me, would you?"

_Uh oh…_ "Er…Of course not" Masaru did not like it when Ayano smiled like that. A certain edge always entered her voice and it sent chills down his spine every time he heard it.

"Perhaps you wish for me to leave _you_?" She said with a slight tilt of her head

_Leave me? Yeah, leave me for dead. Like hell would I want that_ "I was joking. Jeez"

Ayano seemed to relax "Really now? Well it wasn't very funny." She pouted.

_It was a bad idea to make that comment. _Masaru sighed in relief. _At least we're still going home._

**LUCKY STAR**

"Yo, Miyuki. We're already halfway through the first episode! Get you sexy ass in here!"

Konata made good on what she said earlier: They were marathoning Monogatari there in the living room. The original demand was for Tsukasa to watch it with her but the little otaku was welcome to more company and asked the others to join her as well.

Of course, they all complied. It's hard to say no to Konata's pouting face – a face that might as well have been used to kill them what with its effectiveness.

"So, what was your impression on the first ep?" Konata asked as the weirdly long episode preview played in the background.

Minami was first to reply with "unique", to which the other, after a little internal deliberation, agreed was the best description.

Unique indeed. Monogatari was often described as surreal, so it's no surprise that they thought it was different.

"My only problem were the sudden text that kept flashing on the screen." Tsukasa said with a frown "What were they saying?"

"Eh… flavor text" Much to Konata's displeasure, she had paused, rewound, and played back the DVD in slow motion every time a screen for text showed up during her first watch of it. It was not worth it in her opinion. "You don't really need it for the story."

"Well, before we continue on to the next episode, who were you on the phone with Miyuki?" Konata asked with a mischievous smile "Care to share who you had twenty minutes worth of conversation with?"

"Whatever you may be thinking, I'm afraid I may disappoint you. I was speaking with Kagami." Miyuki explained "It seems she made an epiphany and decided to call me."

_Now this is a whole lot more interesting than what I was thinking of._ Konata stood from her seat on the couch and walked to the middle of the room. "Care to expound" She said, looking back at Miyuki, tilting her head slightly. "I'd love to know more"

The pink haired glasses girl was unnerved, to say the least. No human neck should be able to do the kind of head tilts shown in the anime they were watching yet, somehow, Konata was doing it perfectly.

Nevertheless, Miyuki continued. "I'd think it best if she tells you herself. Rest assured it was good news."

Konata pouted once more in an attempt to get more information. "Can't you tell me more? Even a little bit?"

Miyuki sweat dropped. She looked at the others. They were all doing their best not to look at Konata's pleading face – they had seen it before and they didn't want to feel such weakness again. (Except Tsukasa who was apparently immune)

Miyuki looked once again to the bluenette's face. It was the eyes. They were hypnotic – piercing all of her defenses and mental barriers, stabbing at her resolve. Whatever will power Miyuki had was lost.

"She's no longer lying to herself" Miyuki said, guilt hinting the edges of her voice. "Kagami loves Misao"

This got the attention of the rest. Whatever they were thinking, it seems they were waiting on Konata's reaction before they said anything.

There was silence for a few seconds before she finally spoke. "FINALLY!"

**LUCKY STAR**

****I personally liked the flavor text in Monogatari but I know not everyone does****

**Would you believe this chapter was finished between 5AM and 6AM? I'm sure you do. (BTW, I forgot to do the final proof reading for this chapter. I ended up having to update it)**

**That little review from my writing senpai left me feeling both inspired and scared out of my mind. That said, still expect another update within a week.**


	15. Its resolved but still uncertain

**I don't know how I'm managing to make a chapter every four days or so but somehow I am.**

**So here's another chapter for this Tuesday morning in which the characters finally end their activities for the day? Sure, why not? 'It's resolved but still uncertain.' Hope you enjoy it (or at least are not sickened by it)**

**LUCKY STAR**

It was late afternoon in the Kusakabe residence and Kagami was bored out of her mind. A few hours earlier, Masaru and Ayano arrived. They exchanged pleasantries but paid no head to the twin tailed girl and her sick girlfriend (A bit surprising on Kagami's end as she expected Ayano to at least ask how Misao was doing). Aside from that, nothing else happened. Overall Kagami's stay was a fairly uneventful one.

"The zombie lives. How do you feel sleepy head?" Kagami asked. Misao had been asleep for around five hours at that point so her awakening was inevitable.

The fanged girl drowsily sat up and yawned. "That was the best sleep I've had in years!"

"You seemed to have gotten your energy back." Kagami noted as Misao jumped out the bed and began stretching. "Now, would you like to tell me what the hell happened to make you that sick?"

"Oh, some family reunion stuff. Unrelated. This was probably just the twenty-four hour bug or something." The no-longer-sick girl said casually. "You don't have to worry"

"Misao, earlier, you were practically dying. It's not easy for me to just 'not worry'…" Kagami said sternly. After a pause, a sigh, and a quick shake of her head, she continued. "But still… it's amazing how fast you recover. All it took was a meal and a few hours of sleep for you to go back to your old self."

Misao wasn't quite sure what was going on with Kagami but she felt something was different about her. She didn't know what it was, but she felt it – and whatever she felt, she didn't know what to make of…

"Kagami, you seem… off" Misao jumped back onto the bed and sat next to the twin tailed girl. "Is something wrong?"

"No… nothing's wrong… not anymore at least" The sad smile on her face when she said that left Misao even more confused. "… I'm sorry." The twin tailed girl said.

"Sorry? What for"

"For… for…" Kagami's voice began to shake. Whatever she wanted to say got stuck in her throat, threatening to choke her. "I… I…"

"Kagami, whatever you think you did wrong, it's fine!" Misao interpreted the girl's hesitation as the beginnings of a nervous breakdown and hugged her tightly. "Whatever it is, I'm fine with it."

Kagami blushed from the blend of emotions she felt: Frustration at her difficulty to say what she wanted to say; annoyance in regards to Misao's misunderstanding; and both embarrassment and fondness, due to the fact that she was currently in a hug with her girlfriend. The twin-tailed girl felt that she could finally say it then so she began: "No, Misao. It's not-"

Misao cut her off by holding her shoulders and saying straight to her face "No. You did nothing wrong. You hear me? You. Did. Nothing. Wrong."

"Misao, you're-"

Once again the brunette kept her from even starting her sentence. "Kagami, don't argue with me on this. You're-"

Kagami shut her up by locking lips with the girl. "Jeez, will you just shut up for three seconds and let me finish!?" The tsundere said in annoyance after she pulled away.

"… eh…?" Misao was stupefied. Her girlfriend had just given her a kiss of her own free will. Was it the end of the world or was Kagami finally warming up to her? She had the feeling she was about to find out.

"Alright" Kagami exhaled loudly. "Now what was I about to say…? Right! Misao, I'm sorry. I've been a terrible girlfriend for the entirety of our relationship. No one has to put up with that but you did."

"Aww, Kagami. Don't worry about-"

"No, let me finish." It was Misao's turn to be interrupted. "You said it yourself. I'm a terrible girlfriend. Even I can see it." The brunette began to make a comment but thought better of it. "But I plan to change that."

_Wait… does that mean… _The fanged girl could feel a chill down her spine

"I'm not gonna lie anymore"

_Oh my god, it's actually happening… _Her heart was pounding fast enough to break her ribs and burst out of her chest.

"Misao Kusakabe…"

_OhmygodOhmygodOhmygodOhmygod!_ She was hanging on Kagami's every word. The suspense was killing her.

"… I admit it. I love you"

Misao would have screamed loud enough to disturb the neighbors if Kagami didn't pull her into another kiss at that exact moment. As the girl's excitement slowly flowed out of her at the touch of the tsundere's lips with hers, Misao closed her eyes and took a moment to appreciate what was happening.

It lasted a minute, and when it finally ended, Misao seemed to melt into the mattress.

Kagami joined her in lying down. "Don't get used to it…" She said with a blush

"That was as amazing as I remembered it…" Misao said with a stupid grin on her face, probably still high from the kiss she got. Kagami couldn't help but smile from Misao's reaction.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Ms. Akira!" Minoru called. "Ms. Akira, where are you!?"

It was close to the time for another segment of Lucky Channel but the half of the show's cast, namely the cold and cutesy female half, was nowhere to be found in the studio. Minoru Shiraishi was tasked to find the girl within the hour or else he would have to do the segment alone.

"Ms. Akira!" The boy sighed. "I wish I wasn't the only one who could convince her to do something. If that were the case, someone else could be running after her"

As he combed through the streets in search for the missing idol girl, Minoru tried to reach said girl by phone once more. When he got no response for the umpteenth time, he gave up trying her phone and returned to searching the area within walking distance of the studio.

"Akira! Ms. Akira!" Again, Minoru yelled, clinging on to the hope that the girl he was looking for was in _that_ crowd of pedestrians (as opposed to the previous ones he had tried)

"Excuse me?"

"Huh?" Minoru turned to see a girl with reddish orange hair, wearing it in a ponytail. Her face reminded him of a girl who went to his school.

After seeing the look Minoru gave her she seemed to grow more relaxed "I'm guessing I'm not the Akira you're looking for?" With a relieved sigh she continued "You seem like you're having some trouble. Need some help?"

"Uh…" Minoru checked his watch. _Thirty minutes till the show starts. If I don't find her in half that time, we won't make it… _While he found it a bit weird for a stranger to be helping him, he saw no reason not to accept this woman's offer. "Sure. My name's Minoru Shiraishi." He bowed slightly

Bowing as well, the girl introduced herself as well. "I'm Akira Minegishi. Who are we looking for?"

Minoru's mind immediately went to the orange haired girl with the big forehead from Class 3-C the moment the name Minegeshi came up but with sudden push, he swept the thought under a mental rug. He could think of the relationship between this woman and his schoolmate later. He had bigger - rather, smaller - things to deal with. "We're looking for a little girl with salmon hair. She's wearing a bright red hoodie over a white blouse and dark blue skirt."

"Okay then. Give me your email" the girl said, taking out her cellphone.

"Right"

After a brief exchange of contact information, the two split up to search for the girl. It didn't take long for one of them to find the missing Akira Kogami.

[Minoru, I found her. She was at the train station waiting for the next train. I'm taking her in front of that family restaurant near the intersection where we met.]

Minoru flipped his phone closed and took the shortest route he could think of to get to said restaurant, making use of many back alleys and multiple entrance stores for shortcuts.

"Akira!" The moment he saw the little redhead girl in front of the restaurant, Minoru made a beeline for her. He took her in his arms and held her close. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"_I'm fine. Jeez…_" Akira said with a sneer. After a brief pause, her expression softened "… I'm sorry I ran away"

"Eh, don't worry about it. I'm used to it." Minoru said reassuringly. He looked to the older Akira "Thank you, Minegishi-san."

"It's fine. I'm glad you and your daughter were reunited" She said

The smaller and, at the time, noticeably meaner Akira's mood soured immediately. She broke free of Minoru's hug and turned to face the other Akira. "_Excuse me? What the fuck did you just say?_"

"Uh…" The older Akira looked at the smaller girl with shock. She glanced at Minoru with a face that practically screamed _Did she really just say that?_

"_I'm fourteen years old. FOURTEEN_" She pointed at Minoru "_He's eighteen. What the FUCK made you think he was my father!?_"

"I… uh…"

"_Are you blind? Do you have eyes made of shit? How do we, in any way, look related?_" The younger Akira was on a roll. She knew she was only digging herself deeper but she couldn't stop.

The older Akira smiled "Maybe you'd like to cut me some slack? After all, we've only just met, and I doubt insulting strangers is something smiled upon" Her voice gained and icy edge to it, like the cold steel of a katana – her words were elegant, precise, and sharp enough to cut someone's soul. "Perhaps you'd like to tell me what your relationship with Mr. Shiraishi _really_ is? I'd hate to have a misunderstanding again as I handle them very… messily, if you know what I mean."

As the younger Akira paled, Minoru smirked. _Yup. She and Ayano are related. They have to be._ The boy stepped in before the salmon haired girl received any more potentially traumatizing passive-aggressive threats. "I am this girl's manager and co-host." He said "This here is Akira Kogami, an idol famous among otaku. No, we have no relation other than business"

The older Akira gave a genuine smile this time "Thank you for clearing that up. Anyway, I'd better be off. See you" With a small wave, she left the two

After a few econds of just idly standing, watching the girl walk away, the younger Akira suddenly glared a Minoru _"… Alright, what is your relationship with that terrifying woman?_" It seems she recovered quickly from the little scare the older Akira had given her.

"I met her on the street while looking for you." Minoru said sternly. Akira recoiled at the lecturing tone of his words. "Speaking of which, we need to get back to the studio" He held out his hand.

Akira frowned and took the hand reluctantly. "Right… sorry…"

**LUCKY STAR**

"Well, what did you think" Konata asked the four.

They had been watching anime for six straight hours, marathoning Bakemonogatari.

"It was rather nice. I found the story and art style appealing" Miyuki commented

"It was so cool!" Yutaka gushed

"Unique…" Minami said simply.

"The story's not finished" Tsukasa noted "I want to know what happens next"

"Yes, but alas, we cannot continue. We have school tomorrow." Konata said solemnly, and then added "Besides, I didn't bring the other DVDs"

"If you wish, you could stay for dinner" Miyuki offered

"Sorry, but I'll have to decline" The blunette said quickly. "No offence, but I don't really want to have another meal with your mom"

"I suppose that's not unreasonable." The pinkette sighed. As she walked the three to the door she said "You're welcome to come back any time"

"Thanks Miyuki", "Thank you Yuki-chan", "Thank you Miyuki-senpai" they said in unison.

With a smile and a wave (and a goodbye kiss on the check for Minami and Yutaka), they left the Takara house.

Their way to the station was walked in silence until Yutaka spoke up. "Do you think Uncle Sojiro's home yet?"

Konata smiled sadly "Hope so"

Tsukasa was distressed by the conversation. _What are they talking about? Hasn't Konata's dad come home yet? There was a storm yesterday. What happened to him?_

Whatever anxiety the younger Hiiragi felt was immediately detected by Yutaka. Truth be told, Yutaka was worried as well but felt it wasn't a good idea to show it. "Don't worry Tsukasa-senpai. I'm sure he's okay"

"Yeah. He's fine. Completely fine" Konata said.

She was convincing herself and Tsukasa couldn't fathom why she was ignoring the problem. She was about to point it out when she noticed Yutaka glance at her.

While most of the details were lost in the translation of Yutaka's facial expressions to an actual understandable sentence – their ability is to sense people's emotions do not equate mind reading – the message was received._ Don't._ Her look said. _Not yet. It's only been a day. We're not sure whether or not he's gone missing._

The urge to argue was strong but the lavender haired girl resisted. Whatever happened to Sojiro Izumi, she could do nothing about it but worry – and worry was something the two smaller girls were probably trying to lessen.

Their walk continued in silence.

**LUCKY STAR**

"I'm home!" Kagami heard from down stairs.

_That must be Tsukasa. I wonder where she went off to… probably another date with Konata or something_. With the stretch of her arms, she closed her text book and stood up. _I've been pretty diligent with my studying so far. I guess I can afford a break right about now._

She opened the door to her room to reveal another door sliding closed. She turned back to her room to look at the clock. 7:20. _Pretty late… What DID she do anyway?_ Kagami decided to find out. She knocked on her sister's door.

After receiving no response, she opened the door and walked in. What she walked into was her sister changing. Thankfully, they were sisters (and both girls for that matter) so walking in on each other in the nude wasn't much of a problem.

"Yo" Kagami said as she sat down on Tsukasa's bed

Speaking of Tsukasa, the said twin was in the middle of taking off her shirt. She got her head stuck in the hole and was having trouble getting it off. When she finally did, only then did her sister's greeting register to her brain. "Oh, good evening Onee-chan"

Kagami chuckled "Had a bit of trouble there?"

Tsukasa frowned and looked at the shirt. "I think it's too small for me now…" She sighed "This was my favorite too…"

After giving her sister the once-over, Kagami sighed as well. "You've been growing pretty fast lately" And then added in a mutter "… more than I've been growing, that's for sure…"

Once Tsukasa finally got changed Kagami asked her to sit down. The younger twin knew her sister was about to tell her something important and sat down with no question. "Tsukasa, you know-" She was suddenly interrupted by their mother calling them for dinner. "Never mind. We'll talk about it after dinner."

Kagami stood and walked out the door, feeling more awkward than she'd like. Tsukasa was left in her room, confused.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Evening Konata, Yutaka…"

Konata and Yutaka had just arrived home and their walk to the kitchen was met with the warm smile of Sojiro Izumi.

Konata immediately dropped everything she was carrying and ran straight for her father. "Dad!" The said father picked her daughter up as she jumped into his arms. Konata was almost crying. Then, she suddenly shifted her weight, swinging around the man using her arms and legs. After a split second of acrobatics, Sojiro was on the lying face on the floor and arms held behind his back - pinned by his own daughter. "Dad, where've you been!? Do you have any idea how worried we were!?"

"Forgot… you could do that…" Sojiro said as pain shot through his shoulders and chest – the arm lock was working, it meant. Konata was a whole lot stronger that her size would lead people to believe "I'm sorry I wasn't able to get home. I wasn't able to finish work until the storm hit, and by then, I didn't think I'd be able to get home anyway. My coworker offered to drive me home but I lived a lot farther away than he did. I just decided to stay where I worked. I woke up the next day and work resumed."

Konata's eyes narrowed "That's a bit of a flimsy excuse…"

"It's the truth, I swear!"

Yutaka watched the two on the floor. Despite the anger she felt from Konata, she also felt an incredible amount of relief. Sojiro on the other hand… The smaller girl felt he was telling the truth, but it didn't feel complete. She couldn't quite place what it was, but she knew her uncle was hiding something.

But Yutaka kept it to herself. One, she didn't have the courage to speak up about it; two, she didn't want to sour the sweet moment the two bluenettes were having.

The Izumis were both sitting on the floor now, smiling, laughing, and overall, happy.

**LUCKY STAR**

**And so, a return of three characters I doubt anyone wanted to see, the resolution of two major problems or main characters were facing. There are still a lot of things unresolved and most likely, more things to resolve.**

**My life at the moment is not very different from my A/N in the last chapters so no update in that regard.**

**Hopefully I'll be able to release another chapter within a week.**


	16. Let's start with this morning

**So I made another short chapter here to set up the next one. Hopefully I do this well.  
But before that, comment replies!**

**wingsofseyfert12  
I only noticed the change when I reread my work after you pointed out that my writing style made the story seem like a script.  
My characterization of Kagami and Misao was borne from the fact that I myself have qualities that those two have. As for how I manage their relationship, I don't know. I have a vague idea of what I want and I try my best to bring it to fruition, which, unfortunately, doesn't always happen. (Also, when I read your compliments, I basically… well… *high pitched whine*)  
All the other pairings were harder for me because I'm not very experienced in writing those kinds of stuff. The skits and plays I had to make in high school all involved tsunderes or people with tsundere qualities so I guess I've had a lot of practice. (And I never intended for a MinoruxMiyuki pairing. Miyuki is the only character I don't plan on giving a partner at all [although I have ideas for a Minami/Miyuki fic {which I should probably start writing down}])  
Finally, thank you for your review, senpai!**

**Now, on to the story!  
"Start with this morning". Enjoy what you can (which is hopefully all of it)**

**LUCKY STAR**

It was Wednesday morning and the first day of classes since the storm hit.

Miyuki Takara was the first of the girls to wake up. A quarter to six, her eyes opened and she began struggling to get out of bed. After a few minutes of flailing her arms around hopelessly, she finally managed to sit up. The feeling of accomplishment that surged through her when she succeeded in the task of getting up made her wide awake. Conscious and alert, the pinkette began getting ready for school.

Next door to the well-endowed glasses girl, another was roused from her slumber. The mint haired stoic, Minami Iwasaki, opened her eyes and got up with nary a yawn. It was as if she was never asleep in the first place. She too made preparations for classes that day.

Several kilometers away, in an entirely different prefecture, Yutaka Kobayakawa, timid and frail first year, awoke happy and rested. As she cheerfully finished doing her hair, changing into her uniform, and packing her bag, the sound of a car screeching to a stop signaled to her that her sister had arrived to pick her up. The cute little red-head exited the Izumi house and made off with the speed-demon known as Yui Narumi.

A couple blocks or so from the Izumi residence was the Kusakabe household, from which burst out Misao Kusakabe with a half-eaten piece of toast in her mouth and a rather hurried spring in her step. The fanged brunette woke up uncharacteristically late so she was running for the station at breakneck speed so as to not miss too much of morning-practice for the track team.

Out of pure coincidence, all four of them (five if you count Yui) arrived at the school gate at about the same time – give or take a few seconds.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good morning you two" Fuyuki Amahara, school nurse and resident supernatural-phenomenon enthusiast greeted Yutaka and Minami as they entered the room. "Did you have a good weekend? I hear many spirits appear during ominous weather like we had a few days ago. By any chance, did you encounter any?"

"Good morning, Nurse Amahara." Yutaka replied weakly "I'm sorry. I didn't meet any spirits. How about you, Minami?" to which, the mint haired girl shook her head.

"Oh? That's a shame. Neither did I…" Raven haired nurse sighed. She turned to Minami and asked "Will she be having the usual?"

"Yes. Motion sickness medicine." The stoic girl answered.

With a smile and nod, Fuyuki went to the shelves and picked out the medicine. She handed the medicine to Minami.

The taller first year looked at the shorter first year. The girl was sitting on the bed, waiting for Minami to give her the medicine, slightly pale from her ride to school. She frowned._ I don't like how her sister drives – she's too reckless. Yutaka always gets car sick because of her – and on top of that, she might even get hurt._

All those things she thought about the woman in question were true. The way Yui drives breaks any and all traffic laws to the point of molecular separation –ironic considering she's a police officer. What Minami couldn't deny, however, was Yui's skill. Despite her wildness at the wheel, she never gets into accidents. You could argue that fortune simply favored her, but, from what Minami experienced from her somewhat frequent rides with the woman, her 0% accident rate had _nothing_ to do with luck.

_I concede. Yutaka won't REALLY get hurt. But still, Yui's driving makes her carsick. I'll have to have another talk with her someday._ With that concluding thought, she administered the medicine to the short red-head.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good morning Shiraishi-san" Miyuki greeted the single other person in classroom 3-B.

"Moring, Takara-san" He greeted drowsily. His eyelids drooped, and his head was swaying. It was obvious he was sleepy

"I take it you didn't have must rest last night" the pinkette guessed

"Yeah, you could say that…"The boy put his head on his desk and groaned. "I had a little argument with Akira last night. It took a lot longer to resolve than it should have…"

"Hmm… That's unfortunate. You know, you could have just slept in. Class doesn't start for another hour or so" Miyuki checked her phone "Scratch that. It's fifty minutes actually"

"Huh…? Really…?" with a yawn, Minoru closed his eyes. "I guess I could take short nap before school starts… if that's okay with you, of course."

The glasses girl smiled. "It's not a problem. Lack of sleep can cause a decrease in overall performance. I'd rather not have any of my friends do badly in anything they do today."

"Heh. I guess so…" After a short chuckle, Minoru drifted off into sleep.

Shortly before taking her seat, Miyuki checked to see if the boy was really asleep. Confirming that Minoru had truly gone from the world of the waking, she sat down and began skimming through her text books.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Damn it, Kusakabe! You're late! This never happened before and now it's happening every other day! What's going on!?" The tract team captain wasn't keen on tardiness. Considering that that track members were supposed to be fast, it wasn't surprising she didn't like people showing up late.

Misao scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "I'm sorry cap. Had a really long nap yesterday. Messed with my sleeping times."

The girl didn't look like she was convinced "Make sure it doesn't happen again. As punishment, fifty laps around the entire field. I want you done in ten minutes"

"But-"

"No buts, Kusakabe. Now move it. I wanted you running fifteen minutes ago."

With a sigh, Misao ran the track. One lap. _This is a challenge, Misao. _She took a deep breath. Two laps. _Punishment or not, you know you like to be challenged_. With a determined smirk, she picked up her pace. Three laps. _I won't back down!_ As if using the force of her will as fuel, the tanned track player shot forward like a jet with its afterburner turned on, quickly completing the fourth lap and then some. That captain wanted her done in ten minutes? She finished in four.

When Misao returned to the captain, she was uncharacteristically worn out – she was out of breath and sweating bullets. "Yo, cap… Done…"

This earned a light chop to the forehead. "What the hell are you doing, Kusakabe? Are you trying to kill yourself?" The soft hit was enough to send Misao lying on her butt, clutching her head. "Granted, you were amazing back there, but look at you now. Pace yourself, girl!"

With an embarrassed chuckle, the fanged girl lied down on the grass. "Heh… Then maybe… that wasn't… a good punishment… to give me…"

"You don't say" The captain dead panned. She looked at the girl sprawled on the ground with frustration clear in her face. "You know what? I've found a better punishment for you." She turned to a random first year runner "Satomi, bring Kusakabe to the nurse's office! She's done for today!"

The freshman boy stood up straight at the mention of his name "Y-yes ma'am!" With a salute, he took the exhausted girl from the ground and began dragging her to the infirmary.

Misao grimaced. _Well, that could have gone better. _That captain seemed to have figured out exactly what would be considered punishing for her. _Probably shouldn't have pushed myself. I WAS sick just yesterday. _With a sigh, she resigned herself to her fate. _If not today,_ a_t least I'll still be able to practice tomorrow…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Kagami, it's time to wake up" Tsukasa said, poking the sleeping girl's face

"… Five more minutes…" Kagami groaned, rolling over so that she was facing the wall

The younger twin blinked. _This feels weird…_

While it was no longer considered a miracle, Tsukasa waking up before Kagami was still a rare occurrence (the Hiiragi twins more often woke up at the same time those days). That said, it wasn't much of a wonder that Tsukasa felt weirded out by her situation – considering the older twin's response to her attempts to wake her, even more so.

"Sis, it's time to wake up!" She said, putting as much aggression as she could into her words. She was getting better at it, to say the least.

_That_ was what woke her up. "W-w-what happened!" The older twin sat up in a sudden fit of panic.

"It's time for school, Kagami. We might get late."

With a sigh, Kagami lied back down. "I'll be down in a minute"

Tsukasa nodded and closed the door to Kagami's room, leaving said girl to her thoughts.

_I didn't know Tsukasa was at Miyuki's house yesterday… _Kagami scowled._ Even more than that, I didn't expect Miyuki to actually TELL THEM… and I really wanted to tell them myself… _Her expression softened._ Then again, if I was going to tell them about it anyway, why wait…?_ Kagami covered her eyes with her hands. _Uhhhhg. Why am I making this such a big deal? At least they know I have feelings for Misao now… speaking of which…_ With a bit of effort, Kagami sat up and rested her chin on her hand._ I KNOW I've been in love with Misao for a long time. I just couldn't accept it and ended up lying to myself for who knows how long… But when DID I start having feelings for her?_ The question brought her pause. _I mean, now that I think about it, there's a lot to like about her. She's cheerful, athletic, hard to bring down, and I've been close to her for over twelve years – not to mention she's gorgeous…_ She blushed at the thought of Misao's lean but muscular figure._ Okay, maybe that's just my opinion, but I really do find her body attractive…_ The image of a certain blue-haired otaku flashed in her mind._ The same could be said for Konata though._ In her mind, she saw Konata's short limbs, flat chest, and overall childish appearance._ I hate to say it, but I find her attractive too…_ With a sigh and the shake of her head, the tsundere stood and began changing into her uniform. _I have REALLY weird tastes, don't I…?_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Kusakabe-senpai…" Minami said when the said girl was brought into the nurse's office.

"Yo, Iwasaki, Kobayakawa… you've ya been…" A tired Misao said as she was helped onto the bed.

"Misao-senpai, what happened?" Yutaka asked worriedly from the bed across the room from her.

After speaking with the nurse, the boy who brought the girl to the room left. The said nurse went over to the girl on the bed and checked her.

"No fever. No broken bones or sprains. Yes, the boy was right. You're just exhausted." Nurse Amahara said. She scowled. "You almost never show up here unless you're the one carrying the person sick. It's a bit strange that _you_ are the one who has a problem this time."

"I know… right?" Misao said with a weak grin.

"I suggest you have some rest. Would you like anything to eat?"

"Heh… now that you mention it…" The brunette wondered a bit. "I guess anything… from the cafeteria… would be fine with me…"

The raven-haired nurse turned to Minami. "Iwasaki, get her some food, would you?"

With a nod, the mint haired girl left the room.

**LUCKY STAR**

It was morning rush hour and the train was crowded. When the doors closed, the occupants of the train car were squeezed together. Three of those said occupants were high school girls – namely, Konata and the Hiiragi twins.

"Good morning Kagamin, and my adorable little Tsukasa" Konata chimed. She had been caught between the two sisters when the doors closed. This created a sort of sandwich – with Kagami and Tsukasa being the slices of bread and the blue haired otaku being the filling. "Have I ever mentioned how nicely your breasts are developing?"

The twins blushed. "Konata, shut up. We're in public. It's not the time to be making perverted jokes" Kagami hissed

"I'm sorry. Yours are so in-my-face that it's hard not to notice." Konata said, voice slightly muffled by Kagami's boobs. "Besides. Even if I ignore what's right before my eyes, I'll still be thinking of Tsukasa's at the back of my mind." She added, leaning backward into Tsukasa chest.

"Konata" The twin-tailed girl said sternly

"If it's any consolation, yours feel bigger." The bluenette added. "Not as big as Miyuki's, mind you, but bigger than Tsukasa's… no offence"

"…Um… none taken?" The younger Hiiragi replied.

"Konata, I swear. If you make one more boob related comment…" The older Hiiragi growled

"Hey, I'm only making a statement. No need to get violent" Konata defended. _I don't think it would be a good idea to further this topic. If I make Kagami mad this early in the morning, the rest of today may be a lot less pleasant than if I do otherwise_. With a sigh, Konata relented and just tried to enjoy the ride – something quite easy to do considering the twin's soothingly soft pillows cushioning her head.

**LUCKY STAR**

The two first years watched their senpai devour an entire bag of freshly baked, newly delivered, cafeteria bought bread. Misao tore through the buns, viciously ripping them into bite-sized chunks before popping them into her mouth. _It doesn't even look like she's chewing…_

When she finished eating, the kohais could only express their thoughts on what they witnessed in one word. "Wow…"

Misao heard the two and saw their awed faces "What is it?" She started looking around "What, did a fairy fly past or something?"

Minami glanced down to Yutaka who was sitting on her lap. The redhead's face was curious but conflicted. They were probably wondering about the same things so the stoic took the initiative and asked. "The way you eat… and you got better so quickly…" Minami's mind was moving faster than her mouth so she struggled to get the words out. "Just… how…"

The brunette blinked "Huh… You're right. I AM feeling better." She laughed "Heh. How about that?"

Minami raised an eyebrow. She glanced once again to the girl on her lap. _She's just as confused as I am with senpai…_ "Senpai… how?"

"How…?" Misao thought for a bit. "How…? Hmm… I don't know" She replied simply.

The two first years almost face palmed at her answer. "Uh…" Minami didn't know how to react so Yutaka took over

"It's still amazing that you can recover so quickly. I wish I was so strong" The smaller girl told Misao, saying the first thing that passed her mind. This earned a curious look from Minami.

"Aww, it's nothing. Sometimes I wish I had a weaker immune system, that way I could have sick days more often"

"Eh… right…" Yutaka said awkwardly.

Minami stared at the brunette. _She must not understand Yutaka's troubles. Didn't she ever wonder why Yutaka and I were always in the nurse's office when she went in here? But still, you say THAT in front of a sickly girl? You DARE say that in front of my girlfriend!?_ Minami's stare, despite her face showing no emotion, was the coldest stare she had ever given – it was as if she could see a person's soul and was debating whether or not they deserved to continue living.

Yutaka was distressed. Not only did she feel the mint haired girl's grip on her waist tighten, she also felt a dark aura of negative emotion seemed to explode into existence within Minami. She touched the girl's hands and glanced back. _Minami, stop…_

The sudden contact made Minami look down to see worried green eyes – eyes that could tell exactly what she was thinking. Guilt welled up inside of her. _…You said it yourself. She doesn't understand. I'll have to fix that someday. But until then, don't do anything rash. For Yutaka's sake…_

With a controlled exhale, the stoic first year checked her phone. "It's almost time for classes."

"Oh. Alright, let's go" Yutaka hopped off her lap and walked towards the door, Minami following close behind. "See you, senpai." With a smile and wave, the redhead left the room

Minami looked at Misao. "Senpai." She nodded and left as well.

After a few seconds of silence, no-longer-exhausted brunette jumped out of bed, deciding that she didn't have to rest any longer. "Right-o. Time for class… where's my bag though…" Looking around, she didn't find it anywhere. She thought back to practice earlier. "Oh god, it's still in the locker room…" With a sense of dread fueling her step, she sprinted out the nurse's office. _Will I make it!?_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Miyuki…? Miyuuukiiii…?" Konata said to the glasses girl.

When Konata and Tsukasa entered the classroom, the pinkette was sitting down with a dazed look on her face. When anyone stood in front of her, her eyes remained unfocused. Whenever someone tried to talk to her, she gave no response. Even when they tried poking her face (or in Konata's case, her breasts) she still had no reaction.

"Is she going to be alright?" Tsukasa asked worriedly

"I don't know…" Konata said, looking at Miyuki with analyzing eyes. She turned to the boy next to them "What's your take on this, Sebastian?"

"She's been like that since I woke up a few minutes ago." Minoru said. "She was fine when I fell asleep. I don't know what happened…"

"Maybe she'll wake if we startle her." Konata suggested with a mischievous smile. "What if we loosed the screws on her chair so it collapses?"

"Kona-chan, that's mean" Tsukasa scolded

"Oh, okay. I'll admit, even for me, that's taking things too far…" Konata thought for a while. "Maybe fill a paper bag with air and pop it in front of her?"

"Hmm… That might work…" Minoru commented "That's actually a pretty good idea"

"Thank you for your input, Sebastian." Konata said, graciously accepting the praise. "So, Tsukasa. You think that'll work?"

"I still think it's mean…"

"Considering your wording, I'll take that as a yes. Sebastian, you got a paper bag?" The bluenette asked. When she received the bag, she blew it up and raised it near Miyuki's face. "I'm sorry Miyuki. This might get a bit painful" She clapped her hands on the paper bag, creating an explosion loud enough to be heard from the neighboring rooms.

"My goodness!" That brought her violently into the world of the waking. "What happened!?"

**LUCKY STAR**

Class 3-C was about to begin their homeroom when suddenly they heard an explosion.

"Ignore the sound. It was just a paper bag. Probably some prank by the neighboring class." The class adviser, Hikaru Sakuraba ordered when the class began to chatter. "You can talk about it later. Right now, we're taking attendance. Now…"

Suddenly the door burst open "I'm not late." It was Misao.

"No, Ms Kusakabe, you are not." Sakuraba stated "You WERE, however, running in the hall, shouting in class and interrupting a teacher" As the brunette paled, the teacher smiled "I'll ignore it this time. Get to your seat."

With a sigh, Misao made her way to her desk.

Kagami was face palming as the entire scene transpired. _She and Konata are becoming more and more like each other with every passing day…_

**LUCKY STAR**

**Hello there! It'd like to point out that when I first introduced, Ayano's sister, her name was Akane. I forgot that little detail in the middle of writing chapter 6. So now we have our first retcon. How about that? (at least no one noticed until I pointed it out now, hahaha)**

**So about the next chapter… another one within a week I guess?**


	17. Rhyme alliteration lunchtime preparation

**Here's a REALLY SHORT chapter. Rhyme, alliteration, lunch time before preparation**

**LUCKY STAR**

It was lunch time on a Wednesday and Ryoo High was alive and bustling. It was the first day of preparation for their culture festival (which was moved back two days because of the storm) and anticipation for the upcoming event was obvious among the students and staff. For example, lessons after lunch took a back seat to give way for props making and such.

However, one particular class still had no idea what they were going to do. Namely: Class 3-B – Konata, Tsukasa, and Miyuki's class.

"Tsukasa, this is delicious!" Konata exclaimed. "As always, my adorable little chef makes me a meal this world is not worthy of!"

With a blush Tsukasa tried to calm down the blue haired otaku "Kona-chan, stop that. It's embarrassing"

"Why? This curry is culinary art that no one knows of right now! I must tell the world that this dish is divine!" Once more, Konata exclaimed, before taking in another mouthful of the mouthwatering meal that Tsukasa had prepared for her.

"You're certainly being poetic today, Konata-san" Miyuki giggled

"Hey, what can I say? If I'm to write the script for out play, I've got to practice my poetry" The bluenette said with a smirk. "Speaking of scripts, I can't write one when we don't have a decision on what we want to do."

"We'll come to a vote on it later." The pinkette said, remembering how, despite all her efforts as class rep, she couldn't get the class to agree on a story or theme.

"Doesn't poetry involve… you know… rhymes?" Tsukasa asked in confusion

Konata stood and made a dramatic pose, one foot on the chair and holding up her hand, looking upward with eyes that seem to be contemplating the meaning of life. With a somber voice she said "You are quite true. But alas, my young lass, poems do rhyme but not all the time." Konata managed a melancholic stare at the ceiling before plopping back to her seat to continue eating "Poems a pretty problematic. If you think too much then there'll be trouble. Try to keep calm – don't burst your bubble."

The two girls couldn't help but smile at the bluenette's antics "From the way you're delivering those verses, it seems better for you to be an actor than a writer" Miyuki said, with Tsukasa agreeing.

"Well, I don't know about that…"

Lunch continued as usual

**LUCKY STAR**

"Why'd it have to be a swimsuit café…?" Kagami Hiiragi, groaned.

The class of 3-C had decided earlier that morning that they were going to do a swimsuit café for the festival. As it was seen clear as day, Kagami was upset about it.

"Why…?" She lamented as she slowly ate her lunch

Classmate and girlfriend, Misao reasoned with the troubled twin-tails. "You've been going on about that for the whole day now. Don't you think you're over reacting?" after saying which, she continued eating, rather, devouring her food.

"It's autumn and we're gonna be wearing swim suits. Do you have any idea how cold that'll be?" Kagami retorted. "Besides, wouldn't you feel embarrassed, wearing so little clothing while boys ogle at you?" She said in an attempt to dissuade the brunette

Misao nearly choked. She couldn't help but laugh "Heh. I doubt they'd do that. If they know what's good for them, they won't be staring – if you ever catch them, they're done for."

A beautiful blush burned Kagami's face. "I... Uh… Of course I would…!" She averted her gaze to the ground. "I… I should be the only one to ogle you…" She muttered

Misao blinked. _Did she really just say that…? Oh my god, she did!_ The girl laughed "I can't believe you actually said that! You're pretty selfish, you know. Hahaha"

Her reaction caused the tsun in the twin-tails' tsundere to take over "L-like you aren't?! Yes, I'm selfish! Is that so bad!?"

The brunette was silent for a second before another fit of giggles came "No, it's absolutely fine. I'm glad you finally realized that" The laughter she made wasn't the kind gained from watching something funny – it was the kind gained from joy. "You've been beating yourself up so much that hearing you say that make me so happy"

Kagami drew surprise from her girlfriend's words. _She's right. Until yesterday, I've always been theso hard on myself for having conflicted feelings about Misao but ALSO having feelings for Konata at the same time… _Her expression softened. _I kept thinking that that Misao deserved better than me, all because I held myself to such high standards. Never once did I think that my image of the perfect 'me' and the 'me' that Misao wanted were two different things. _The burning inferno of embarrassment she felt in her cheeks turned to the comforting warmth of love. _While I resented, even rejected the fact that I had needs and wants like everyone else, Misao accepted that fact. Hell she even got me to accept it myself… eventually… She's done so much for me and I've only just now started noticing them… _A smile found its way to her mouth. _Misao, I wish it didn't take me so long to say it – and when I DID say it, I felt great. So now I'll say it again. Misao Kusakabe, I lov-_

She wasn't able to finish her thought as she was startled by the snapping of fingers in front of her face. "I'm glad you're awake. You were spaced out of a while there. I almost thought you were having another panic attack." Misao said with a chuckle. "Then again, you weren't shaking and actually smiling so I guess read that wrong and acted on impulse…"

Kagami smirked. _Once again, I'm not surprised._ "Don't worry about it" _Misao Kusakabe, I love you._

"Hey, I suddenly remembered something!" The brunette exclaimed

"Huh?"

"If you're allowed to ogle at me, does that mean I'm allowed to ogle at you?" The fanged girl asked. A fitting adjective to describe the face she made as she looked at Kagami would be 'hungry'.

Kagami's blush came back, burning brighter than before. "Sh-shut up!"

Ayano just sat there in the background, enjoying the show.

**LUCKY STAR**

Class 1-D was fairly quiet. For whatever reason, the only four people who remained in the room for lunch break were Yutaka, Minami, Hiyori, and Patricia (and one of them isn't even part of 1-D)

"So, if you didn't know yet, Hiyori and I have been dating" Patricia said "It's been nearly a month now"

Minami expected the two of them to talk eventually. She had known about the two ever since they had sex on the school roof – not that she had witnessed it. She did, however, discern from the state of Hiyori's clothes that day and the fact that she was walking weirdly that something was up. Considering that Patricia was with her, it didn't take long for Minami to figure it out. It was all but confirmed by Hiyori's red-faced reaction when she gave a brief congratulatory nod.

Yutaka, on the other hand, didn't even think of the possibility that they were dating. She did notice that Hiyori acted differently with Patricia but didn't think much of it. That said, when the two finally came out and said it, the red head was really surprised

"Wow! That's so cool" The short girl gushed "When did you start? Have you had your first kiss? What was it like?"

Hiyori sweat dropped. Leaning toward Patricia's ear, she whispered. "This was not the reaction I was expecting"

In response to the glasses-girl's comment, the blonde whispered back "Well, I did." She turned to the other two "We started two weeks into summer. It was Friday, I think. As for our first kiss, yes we have and I'd have to say, kissing a girl isn't all that different from kissing a guy…"

That last comment got their interest up. "You've kissed a guy before?" Yutaka asked

"Yup" Patricia said with a smirk.

"Who was it?"

"Oh, just some friend from America" she answered off-handedly

"A _boyfriend_?" Yutaka asked once again.

"Er… no…" She seemed to be annoyed

"Then who was he to you?"

Patricia looked at the shorter girl. The red-head was staring at her with curious emerald eyes, eagerly awaiting her answer. She frowned and glanced at Hiyori. She too kept a steady maroon gaze on her girlfriend. From the looks of it, they wanted to know – badly.

"You don't need to answer if you're not comfortable." Minami said before Yutaka could ask another question.

"Thank you" Patricia said in exasperation

Minami nodded. With a glance, she saw the red-head's eyes widen in realization before a look of shame formed on her face. With a glance to the other direction, she saw that Hiyori was still staring stubbornly at Patricia. After the glasses girl noticed that the stoic's eye were on her, she seemed to shrink a bit and reluctantly looked away from the blond.

Despite the impassive expression she showed, Minami was actually frowning_. If someone says it's their business, it should remain their business until they decide to share._ She had been taught that since childhood and as such, did not like people who pry. _She'll tell you eventually, Hiyori. Just wait._

Minami noticed someone squeeze her hand. A glance revealed it to be a sorry looking Yutaka. "I'm sorry if I was being nosy. I was just curious. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable" The red head said.

With a sigh, Patricia's expression softened. "It's fine, Yu-chan."

Minami looked once again to Hiyori, who was periodically glancing at Patricia with a very curious expression. _This could be a bad development… I doubt Hiyori will let her curiosity remain unsated but I'm scared that she might not like what Patricia's keeping from us… Of course, there's also the possibility the Patricia won't tell her anything but that poses another problem all together… then again, I might just be being paranoid and all of this would blow over… Either way, it's best to be prepared._

With the ring of the bell, lunch was left in the past and preparation for the festival had begun.

**LUCKY STAR**

**I think I over did it with the alliteration…**

**So, that was chapter 17. Pretty short, huh? Well, I apologize. As much as I love writing, college is draining the life out of me. Things I used to find fun are now just tiring. Things I found tedious are now torturous. Things I found difficult are all but impossible. Thankfully, it's the weekend so I can finally have a little time to relax.**

**Not much happened in this chapter and it was basically filler… or was it? I hope you enjoyed it even though it was less than 2k words. Expect another chapter within a week.**


	18. Preparations begin

**So this update coming so soon is to make up for the substantially shorter previous chapter. Let me start it off with review replies.**

**Jtayls.  
It's sad that most people aren't a fan of the Kagami/Misao pairing. I said in a previous review that they won't end up being together forever. Let's just say a series of coincidences had caused me to reassess how I want to end this fic (considering how I've changed the ending three times by now, I'm starting to think these unexpected events are happening too often [but now that I think about it, I can' really control myself when I find something I want to do in a chapter])**

_**Preparations begin**_** in this chapter. I hope you enjoy**

**LUCKY STAR**

"The vote is unanimous. The lead-protagonist roles go to Minoru Shiraishi and Tsukasa Hiiragi" Miyuki announced.

It took not even fifteen minutes for the class to decide on a theme for the play and half that time for Konata to make a story for it.

The play was a comedy about an incompetent monarch who tries to take over the world with the help of a knight who just happened to be stationed at the throne room when the idea was conceived (That was the gist of it. Konata's explanation to the class was a bit more detailed, though harder to understand)

The knight would be Minoru and the monarch would be Tsukasa.

People argued that Konata should be the one to play the queen, given her description of said character seemed to match her own character perfectly. Konata argued back that not only was she the writer, she was also the director. She said that if they were going to push more jobs on her, the quality of their play would take a blow.

After a bit of a one-sided debate – i.e. the majority of the class insisting that the bluenette play the lead while she pushed back their demands with all her wit and will power – they decided that Tsukasa would play the queen instead. They killed two birds with one stone in that choice: Tsukasa would be able to get over her shyness by getting pushed out of her comfort zone, and at the same time, they would see her act like Konata.

"Now for the supporting characters…"

As Miyuki and the male class rep began working on the other roles of the play, Konata was giving the two lead actors a little pre-practice pep-talk.

"So you are the leads. Not to put any pressure, but how good our play will be is entirely dependent on you two. One slip up and it's all over" The otaku's pep talk wasn't very… well, peppy. The short-haired Hiiragi twin shrunk at the thought of such a heavy burden. "That is if you don't make a suitable recovery!" Konata added. The airhead perked up.

Konata put her hands behind her back and began pacing around the two. Her face remained emotionless and her voice grew strict "That said, the first three days of festival preparation will be comprised of a tight regime in which I will whip you two into shape! By the time I'm done with you two, any mistake you make will seem like it was done on purpose!"

To most people, commanding wouldn't be the word they'd use to describe Konata Izumi – eccentric, hyperactive, and short, maybe, but never commanding. But if they saw the bluenette right then, they would consider revising their list of appropriate adjectives.

"W-wouldn't it be better if don't make any mistakes at all?" Minoru asked, absolutely terrified by the authoritative aura surrounding the shorter girl. "I mean, if we do it perfectly, there's no need for this training, right?"

The otaku stopped her pacing and faced the boy. "Perfection is an ideal that will always remain out of reach for us" She said with cold eyes "You're only human, Sebastian. You're not a god." She suddenly smirked "But you're right. The less mistakes the better, which is why the other three days of preparation will be devoted to you mastering your lines" She turned around and began walking away "Speaking of your lines, I haven't quite… er… finished the script yet…" She said nervously

As the bluenette got out of earshot, Minoru whispered to Tsukasa "When, how, and why was she acting so… so…"

"Different?" Tsukasa suggested with a tilt of her head "I don't know. The last time I saw her act like that was when she was cosplaying as Haruhi"

"Haruhi…" The boy blinked. "Well… that makes sense…" And Minoru DID think it made sense – considering he was part of a radio show catered toward otaku, it wasn't surprising that he understood.

The few seconds of respite the two had used to engage in conversation was broken when Konata returned with a box full of index cards. "I want you two to pick a card. Whichever one you pick, you have to act out the scene. No practice, no hesitation. Just do it"

"Okay…?" The two leads glanced at each other in worry. Minoru took a card and read it. _'Awkward first date'_ the card said. "Uh…" The two once again glanced at each other with exponentially increased worry and embarrassment.

"Well, don't just stand there. ACT!" Konata commanded. The two reluctantly followed the order.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Alright, you, think up some drink names for drinks _we can actually make_. You three, get the drafts on the wave pattern designs done _by the hour_. You two, stop playing the pocky game and _get the hell back to work_!"

Kagami sat down in exhaustion. It was at least an hour since preparations began and already she was about to drop. Her classmates were being very uncooperative. Need examples?

Here's one.

The entire class regretted the decision they made during the brain storming session that they did last week for what they'd do for the culture festival. The entire class was eager to leave that day so they ended up all raising their hand to the first suggestion that was offered. Now, the last thing they wanted was to walk around wearing almost nothing but the equivalent of underwear that's made for swimming, so they all but outright refuse to work. Kagami was also opposed to the idea of a swim suit café, but to the misfortune of both her and her classmates, the form had already been seen, stamped and approved by the student council (with a hard copy archived for good measure). If they wanted to change it, they'd have to jump back in time and prevent them from making the choice in the first place. They had no choice but to press on.

But wait, there's more

Once Kagami actually got them working on the little class project they were begrudgingly required to do, she found that the work being done was a far cry from what twenty-five people could accomplish. This angered Kagami greatly. Her classmates' lazy, almost apathetic, attempts at following orders were actually causing more problems which they had to work on to fix – just look at the drops of paint staining the floor just because someone couldn't be bothered to put newspaper down to cover the ground.

Suffice it to say, Kagami was having a very bad time.

_I never liked being class rep. I hate the added responsibility they always make me carry – as if I'm not stressed enough with college entrance exams looming just around the corner._ With a sigh, the twin-tailed tsundere scanned her classroom. Twenty four classmates and half of them are goofing off._ Jeez, how did I end up in this class anyway? I was in the top ten of the school year twice in a row! My grades should have gotten me to Class A in my very first year but instead I'm in Class C! Why are all the top-notchers in every section except A? Even Miyuki, who is literally THE BEST in terms of academics, is stuck in Class B! Ugh! This just makes me so angry!_

As Kagami glowered in the corner, not quite getting the act of '_cooling off_' correctly, Ayano had taken over supervising the class.

While Kagami's harsh words and shouted orders usually got them working, Ayano's smiling suggestions left people paralyzed with fear. Something about the orange haired girl's voice and expression caused one's body to seize up. Of course, the students who froze were quick to recover, going back to work as fast as possible with a nervous spring in their step. Kagami took mental note of Ayano's particular talent at motivating people.

Misao, one of the few people actually working, was transporting supplies to whichever group needed something. She was also tasked to talk to teachers when they needed to get something. She occasionally brought them snacks from the vending machine as well. Most people would think being the delivery girl was above them. Not Misao, though. She really liked her job (mostly because it never involved waiting around or sitting still.)

Kagami smiled. _I guess at least one good thing came from me being stuck in this class…_ As Kagami's mood brightened, she returned to her duty of nagging her classmates to get back to work.

**LUCKY STAR**

"You… you will have… a good time at the festival…?"

Class 1-D was doing fortune telling for the festival. They're other idea was doing a play, but in the end, fortune telling got more votes (good thing too. Else, Konata's class wouldn't have anything to do for the festival). It was unfortunate that Yutaka wasn't very good at it.

"Hmm… could you try to make that fortune a little more… I don't know… convincing?" Hiyori asked as she once again turned on the light bulb in the fake crystal ball on the table

"Oh, ah… okay…" The red-head said nervously. After taking a couple deep breaths, she looked into the glass sphere once more. "You… you will experience great joy in this festival…" She said with a certain conviction that impressed Hiyori. She paused and continued to stare at the pulsating light within the ball, then Yutaka began to tear up a little "But you… you… you will experience great sadness… shortly after" She gasped

"Uh…" Hiyori looked anxiously at Yutaka and the glowing orb before her.

"No… I don't want that to happen… no…" Yutaka said, trembling "I can't take that…!"

"Yutaka, I said make it convincing, not traumatizing!" The glasses girl said, quickly turning off the ball's light in panic.

"Aww. I was having fun" The shorter girl pouted

Hiyori sighed with relief. "Jeez. How were you able to make it look so convincing?"

As Yutaka rubbed the tears out of her eyes, she explained "I just imagined what would happen to you and reacted as if it actually happened."

"Wow… Amazing…" Hiyori said in awe of the shorter girl "You must be a really good actor..."

"Yutaka, are you okay? You looked like you were crying" Minami asked as she approached the two. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"It's okay, Minami. Hiyori told me to make my fortune telling convincing so I did"

Hiyori took out a notebook and began scribbling furiously. When the two noticed this, the raven-haired glasses-girl waved at them casually "Oh, don't mind me. Just burning off some newly acquired inspiration."

The two sweat dropped at the glasses-girl's attempt to mask her actions. They knew she was drawing them, although they didn't mind.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Have you heard of the song **_**'Death Should Not Have Taken Thee!'**_**? It's a song sung by Vocaloids Ren and Len Kagamine. It's basically Konata's story for their play. Go listen to it (or at least take a look at the lyrics).**

**Kagami's class is doing a swim suit café and the class is being lazy. Konata's class is doing a play. Yutaka's class is doing fortune telling. If that seems familiar to you then I feel your pain because I'm referencing the exact lucky star fanfic you're thinking of (unless there are others with those exact scenarios. There aren't any others which I've read)**

**So… that was more filler. I certainly hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will be released in a few days.**


	19. Senpai's prepping and problems

**Once again, we begin with review replies (and boy are there a lot of them)**

**Jtayls  
Thanks for the PM. I'm sorry for misinterpreting your review. I am prone to misunderstandings.  
So, once again I am receiving praise and once again, I am terrified. Hahaha. Thanks for the compliments. My grasp of the characters was gained through a certain understanding of myself. While I may not fully know who I am, I know enough to be able to relate with the characters in some way. As I said in a previous review reply, the characters have at least one quality that I myself have. As for the plot being intriguing, well, I don't know. I try to have multiple sides to the same story or have several different stories that are just connected. Basically, I'm trying to stay true to the description. If that's intriguing, then I'll just keep doing that. Again, thank you for your review.**

**Wingsofseyfert12  
Have you ever watched Fate/Zero? That story had 7 sides to it. I tried emulating that and from what you're saying, I'm doing a pretty okay job of it.  
Now your comments on the situations involving the characters:  
Yukari, Honoka, and Miki's sides of the story ARE related but not romantically. That's all I'll say  
As of the latest chapter, Sojiro got a decently paying job but refuses to tell his daughter. Just to avoid speculation, I'll say outright that it doesn't involve gangs or yakuza. As much as possible, I don't want any deaths in this fic. Not yet at least.  
Minoru/Akira was what I was planning. Didn't exactly expect the awkwardness in his talks with Miyuki to make that much of an impact though when compared to his interaction with Akira. Happy accident, I guess.  
Konata and Misao's pep talk was basically my way to make them more than people-who-know-each-other-and-are-friends-with-Kagami.  
Kagami has issues and I have no problem keeping up with her. Much of her issues were ones I've faced before.  
Patty/Hiyori is basically a side pairing that's not important right now. Like Masaru and Akira.  
Yutaka/Minami. These two were brought together because of those problems and it's those exact problems that may one day pull them apart unless it's remedied. I hope I manage to do just that.  
Again, I say, I'm still terrified of compliments, but thank you. I'll do my best to improve even more.**

**Zokusho  
I'm a bit confused. I'm pretty sure I made a lot of stuff happen in the story overall and I put, at most, one chapter's worth of content involving OCs. You're seriously talking about MY fic, right?  
Okay, I'll try to pick up the pace a little but keep the flow.  
Thank you for your review.**

**So, in this chapter, we have "Senpai's prepping and problems"**

**LUCKY STAR**

It was a bright and sunny Friday afternoon with partially cloudy skies and a gentle breeze all around – a far cry from the gloomy rain clouds they had one week ago. That said, the students of Ryoo were having a wonderful time preparing for the festival – even Kagami's class.

_Okay, most of the decorations were well underway and the various equipment and storage containers for the café were accounted for. _Miraculously, Kagami had managed to get the class working with the help of Miss Sakuraba.

Earlier that day, class adviser and biology teacher, Hikaru Sakuraba, had spoken to the class in regards to their preparation for the festival. She accurately described the class as lazy, uncooperative, and disgraceful. Suffice it to say, she didn't pull any punches and 3-C felt each and every hit.

Despite their reluctance to cooperate, Kagami's classmates didn't want to disappoint their homeroom teacher. Thus, she watched the class work. _This is an amazing improvement. If I was told yesterday that the useless garbage I'm supposed to consider my classmates would be doing a good job today, I'd have slapped him for even reminding me of these people's existence. But now…_

Ayano walked up to her while holding a clipboard. It seems she's going to give a status report.

"What's the news?" Kagami asked

"Half the paint has been used up and if the usage continues at the rate it is going, we'll be out in two hours. We might also need some more cups"

She nodded "Alright. I'll have Misao go to the store later. What's next?"

Ayano flipped the page. "Decorations should be done by the end of the session. Setting up the room would take an entire day so we should save that for tomorrow or Sunday. What do you think?"

The twin-tailed girl thought for a bit. "I'd say let's do it tomorrow but ask Tezuka-san what he thinks as well. He's class rep too. He deserves a say in it"

She flipped the page once more. "Ryouko-san accidentally crushed her thumb with a hammer so she's in the infirmary. Mio-san is still sick, I called her parents earlier. I also think Rentaro-san cut class again."

"Well… that's a shame…" Kagami sighed "Anything else?"

Ayano reviewed the clipboard. "That's all."

"Good. Tell everyone they can take a break if they want. Otherwise, tell them to keep up the good work." Kagami said. "Oh, and could you take over for a few minutes? I think I need a break too."

"Well do" Ayano smiled and nodded.

Saying her farewells, Kagami left room 3-C.

**LUCKY STAR**

Class 3-B was alive with activity, with the liveliest acts being acted by the two lead actors.

"Milady, don't! It would be too dangerous!" Minoru cried dramatically, dropping to his knees and begging

"I'm sorry, but I must do this." Tsukasa said solemnly. She raised her head and clasped her hands saying "For my people" before she grew limp and fell towards the arms of Konata who caught her.

"BRILLIANT!" The blue-haired otaku exclaimed as she helped Tsukasa up. "Absolutely brilliant! You two are ready to take on the script"

For the past three days, Konata had been training her two leads to improv-act. She was surprised at how fast they picked it up. By the end of day two, they had practically mastered the art of on-the-spot acting. However, they had a certain affinity for the theatrical. They would often make things more dramatic than they had to be

"Now, the script isn't as dramatic as you two like to make it, so fair warning." Konata said as she handed them their copies. "You can change up as much of the lines as you want as long as the change isn't too drastic. You have all of today to study that. We'll try a reading of lines later." The two nodded in response "I'm proud of you… Now, dismissed!"

As the two lead actors reviewed the script, Konata sighed and relaxed her shoulders. She then went to see how the others are doing. "Yo, Miyuki… How're they doing…?"

"Oh. Hello, Konata-san." Miyuki turned to the shorter girl. "I take it that our leads have finished their '_training_'"

"With flying colors" She replied with a small smile and thumbs up. "All thanks to my expert guidance of course" she added smugly

"I'll take your word for it then" Miyuki giggled. "Most of the class likes the roles you've laid out for them. While all of them are minor, there's always something that distinguishes them from the other background characters."

"Well, I tried my best…" She said, bowing slightly

The bluenette surveyed the classroom. Twenty two students were doing what was asked of them, be it making costumes, practicing lines, or taking a break. She was impressed. "Gotta hand it to you, Miyuki, you got the class working like a well-oiled machine"

"It helps that they were tasked to do what they we good at." Miyuki said "You have Shiraishi-san and Satomi-san to thank for that. They really know our classmates"

"Speaking of Satomi, where IS our male class rep?" Konata asked

"He's talking with the student council right now. They asked for a status report from all of the classes participating in the festival" Was the glasses-girl's reply.

"Well, if he looks for me, tell him I'm taking a break." The otaku said as she walked towards the door. "I'll be back in a few…"

"Take as long as you need. You look tired"

**LUCKY STAR**

As Kagami exited her room, guess who she bumped into?

"Watch where you're…" The twin-tailed girl's annoyed sneer turned to a surprised rise of her eyebrows "Konata… sorry…"

"Oh, Kagami…" Konata blinked when she realized that she had walked into the tsundere. "Good afternoon."

"Afternoon…" Kagami was taken aback by the bluenette's passive voice. _She's normally so energetic. I wonder what's up…_ "So… I guess we haven't really talked much this past week huh?" Kagami cringed internally. _That awkward statement was made all the more awkward by my word choice…_

Once again, the shorter girl blinked. "Huh… guess not." She shrugged "I didn't really notice… at least I don't think I did…" She added with a confused scowl.

"Konata, you seem really out of it today" Kagami said in worry. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm, let me think…" Konata crossed her arms and looked to a far corner of the hall. After a few seconds, she snapped her fingers "I'd say my answer in number six in that test we had in first period's wrong. I'm pretty sure I circled the wrong letter."

"Konata…" Kagami growled

"Okay, okay" The bluenette relented. "Look, I know you're worried about me, but don't be. I'm having some troubles at home but I'm finding ways to deal with it."

The tsundere didn't feel convinced. _I can sense she's telling the truth, but I think she's hiding something – no, I KNOW she's hiding something. I'm sure of it… but what?_

Konata gave the taller girl a small sad smile. "I'll be okay soon. Have a little faith in me"

Kagami frowned. _I wish I could believe you, Konata, I really do, but I can't let this go… But I know I won't be able to make you talk…_ She gritted her teeth._ I'll remember this though. If you don't get better soon, I'm going to help you with whatever you're having trouble with, whether you want me to or not._

It seems that Konata took her silence as the end to the conversation as she decided to leave. "Well… see you, Kagami"

And so Kagami was left alone in the hall, anxious and frustrated.

_What is wrong!? What is your problem!? Tell me so I can help! I can't take you looking so tired and sad like that! What's troubling you?_

Kagami worked her brain to think of a possible reason, scanning her memories for even the most obscure detail that would help her solve the mystery of what Konata's problem was. One particular conversation a few months ago seemed to jump at her the moment she started to look.

_Is money your problem? Have you been struggling with money since that day you and Tsukasa started dating? Even before that? You never said whether or not that problem was resolved, so that could be it._

More details involving Konata's situation seemed to make themselves known the more she thought. In particular, her relationship with Tsukasa.

_Tsukasa's been making her lunch for over two weeks now. Not only that, for the entire summer, she had spent nearly all of her time with us at our house – most of the time joining us for lunch. Konata, aren't you able to buy your own food? Are you on that tight of a budget that you have to rely on us?_

Kagami would almost feel like her hospitality had been taken advantage of if she didn't know she'd be fine with it anyway, especially considering her situation. Same goes to Tsukasa

_Tsukasa… does Tsukasa know?_

The twin-tailed girl who could be assumed to be rooted to the spot suddenly surged forward in a rather brisk walk. She was headed for the class next door, 3-B.

**LUCKY STAR**

_Konata's proud of me._ As warmth and happiness spread through Tsukasa's being, a certain want and determination egged her to do even better in her role as lead actress.

Two days ago, Tsukasa had to be forced into become the lead. She was shy and not very good at acting, something the short haired girl knew full well. She was very much afraid of slipping up and disappointing her classmates. Thankfully, that particular fear was remedied by Konata.

The said blue-haired otaku had given her the basics of improv as a safety precaution in case she messed up a line or fumbled an action in the middle of the play. The bluenette also gave lessons to Minoru and the rest of the class, meaning almost no mistake made during the actual play would even look like a mistake.

This extra room for error allowed for Tsukasa's fears of doing something wrong to be mitigated, and her confidence that she'd do well in the play to grow – and even if she DID make a mistake, she was given the skills necessary to fix it.

Suffice it to say, Konata has done a lot to make this play an experience she would enjoy, regardless of the accuracy in which she delivers her lines.

"Alright, done" Minoru said, standing up.

"Oh, Minoru. You've read all the script already?" Tsukasa said in surprise at his speed "All of it?"

"Nope. Just the lines I have to say" The boy replied "You don't _have_ to read everything you know."

Tsukasa blinked "…oh." As a blush appeared on her face, she returned to reading her script

"By the way, while you were spaced out, Miyuki said everyone could take five. If you want to take a restroom break or buy some food, now's that time." With that Minoru walked to another place in the classroom.

"Huh…" She decided to go to Miyuki. She didn't feel like reading and wanted someone to talk to. "Hey, Yuki-chan"

"Oh, Tsukasa-san. How are you?" the glasses-girl said

"I'm doing great, especially with the acting. Konata even said she was proud of me" Tsukasa beamed at the thought

"Well, I must say, your skill is impressive. You're a natural it seems" Miyuki noted cheerfully "How do you do it?"

"Eh…? How…?" Tsukasa pouted, deep in thought. "How…"_ How DO I do it? Even Miyuki thinks I'm naturally good at this. Thinking back, I do what FEELS natural, so I guess I MUST be a natural… I wonder how Konata would answer that question._

She imagined Konata standing on a seat, back straight, arms crossed, and face stern . _She would go up to higher ground and make a speech involving anime references explain exactly how she does it._ Tsukasa smiled at the mental image.

"I guess I don't really think about it." The purple haired girl said "Konata doesn't really give me much time to think before we have to act it so…"

Miyuki chuckled "I understand. Thought I can't say her method is ineffective. Most of the class is competent with improv because of her…" The pinkette suddenly frowned. "Tsukasa, it seems someone's here to see you…"

Tsukasa turned to see Kagami by the door. _Sis… why does she look so worried?_ With more than a little apprehension, the younger twin walked towards the older twin.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata stood in front of the restroom mirrors, glaring into her reflection. _Keep it together, girl. You can break when you get home. Just hold on for a few more hours._ She slapped her cheeks and shook her head, a determined smile appearing on her face.

"Something wrong?"

A familiar voice caused Konata to jump. "MISAKICHI! Holy Haruhi, don't sneak up on me!"

Misao grinned "Hahaha. I guess you're not the only one who's got soundless footsteps." She was carrying several paint-stained plastic cups and apparently went to the restroom to wash them. "Anyway, is something wrong?"

"Nah. Nothing's wrong." Konata said casually. Then she smirked "Not anymore at least."

"Oh? Glad you got over it, then." The brunette said "Try asking for help next time you've got trouble, though. I'm pretty sure all of your friends are willing to help"

"Is that an offer?" The otaku asked with the tilt of her head. "Because I might plan on taking it sometime soon. Not now, though."

Misao chuckled "Heh, suit yourself. Just know we're here" With that, she started cleaning the cups.

With a sad smile, Konata nodded. After a small laugh, the smile turned into a grin. "Glad to know. See ya, Misakichi"

"See ya, Chibi"

**LUCKY STAR**

"What? Something's wrong with Konata?" Tsukasa squeaked in distress.

"Definitely. She said it herself. Something about troubles at home" Kagami said with frustration. "She wouldn't tell me any more than that"

"Oh? Has her money problem gotten worse?"

The twin tailed girl blinked "You know about that?" She asked in surprise

"Yeah" The younger twin answered eagerly "I decided to make lunch for her when I found out"

_Tsukasa knows… did she tell her? She must have… Why didn't she tell me…?_ "How long has she been having trouble?" Kagami asked

"Hmm" Tsukasa thought for a while "I think just under three months. But she did tell me her dad's gotten a pretty decent job so they don't have as many problems as before."

"Wait, doesn't her dad already have a job?" Kagami was becoming more and more anxious the more she found out. "He writes light novels right?"

"That? The publishing house that he goes to got shut down." Tsukasa stated "Konata never told me what his new job is"

The twin-tails' brow furrowed_. Konata, why didn't you tell me that as well? I get that you trust Tsukasa but don't you trust me too? _"Her dad's got a new job, right…" The younger twin nodded. Kagami's scowl deepened "So money's not the issue, then… but what IS the issue?"

"Sis, I know you're frustrated. Trust me, I feel that way too. If Konata doesn't want us to know, there has to be a purpose." The younger twin reasoned to the older "Give her some time"

_No. Hell no. I know from firsthand experience what it feels like to keep a big problem to myself. I am not letting her experience that too._ "… Fine…" Kagami said through clenched teeth. "We'll wait for her to ask for our help…" _I'll find out what's wrong even if it's the last thing I do._

"Oi, Tsukasa, Kagamin" The two turned to see Konata skipping across the hall. "So. Whatcha' talking about?" She asked, leaning in close to Kagami.

Kagami's face flushed and she looked away. "N-nothing…" _She seems normal now. What gives?_

"Kagami was just worried about you" Tsukasa said casually as the shorted girl switched targets and instead leaned on the younger twin who accepted her with open arms.

With her signature cat smile, Konata purred "Awww, Kagamin was worried about me?" She teased. Her smirk turned into a genuine smile "Look, I'm glad and all, but I can handle it. If I need any help, I'll ask. Okay? I know you'll help"

The statement seemed to stab Kagami with guilt. _I misinterpreted her…_ She thought with an internal wince._ I thought she was insisting on taking on a burden she couldn't carry alone, but I guess that's not the case. Konata's not like that. How could I forget? She knows exactly what she's capable of. If she can't take it, she's definitely going to ask for help… she's not me…_

Kagami was snapped out of her daze by Konata and Tsukasa clapping in front of her face "Ah. No letting your imagination go wild." The shorter girl said, waging her finger at the twin-tailed girl. "_I'm fine_, Kagami. No overthinking. Just accept it"

The tsundere blushed and looked down. "Okay…"

"That's my Kagamin"

**LUCKY STAR**

**I'm not sure if you people noticed, but I am a hypocrite. All of the Hiragiis since chapter 9 have been changed to Hiiragi. In a review-reply in chapter 6, I said I wasn't going to do that. Hahaha.**

**So in a few days, we'll have "Kohai's prepping and problems". It will be a whole lot shorter than this one, that's likely.**

**Hope you enjoyed. Review and tell me what you thought.**


	20. Kohai's prepping and problems

**Around a two weeks ago, I posted the chapter involving the senior girls. Now, here is the chapter dedicated to the first years. It was going to be a whole lot shorter (just above 1k words) but a burst of inspiration (and twinge of dissatisfaction) had caused me to rewrite entire sections of this chapter, bumping the word count to little over 3k. I hope you enjoy.**

**Kohai's prepping and problems**

**Edit: Changed the placement of one of my author's notes**

**LUCKY STAR**

Friday marked the last day in which classes would take up half of the day. For the weekend after, the festival preparations would take up the _entire_ day. That said, most of the easy stuff like making decorations, designing costumes, and brainstorming was done in the three days prior so all of the more difficult jobs could be done when they had more time.

One class, however, was pretty much done with their preparations – section D of the first years.

All the decorations were done and need only be set up and the costumes were all complete. Not only that, the class was competent in the type of fortune telling they were trying to replicate – though some were better at it than others.

"I see something very nice waiting in your future" Yutaka said cheerfully as she waved her hands around a glowing glass ball. "It involves food, music, and a certain special someone."

The girl Yutaka was practicing fortune telling with blushed. "H-how did you-"

"Shh. The spirits from the other side told me" The shorter girl said. "If you make the right choices, it will end wonderfully"

At this point, the entire class was in awe of Yutaka's skill. They were always surprised, no matter how many times she accurately predicts something to happen. It was as if she knew, in detail, her classmates' life, personality, and mindset, and could accurately judge the most likely thing that will happen to them. Granted, she DID know all those things, what with her ability to read people, but still...

"She's amazing isn't she?" Hiyori told Minami. The raven haired was one of the first people to witness Yutaka's ability used in fortune telling.

Minami smiled and nodded. As she watched Yutaka practice, she felt pride well up in her. The shy and frail girl was not as shy or frail as most people made out her to be and Minami was happy to see people finally see that.

But she also felt more than a bit of jealousy. Yutaka had once only had eyes of her – only tried to understand her. But in the end, she grew so dependent on the stoic that she felt like she was a burden – she felt like she needed to get stronger. While Minami was glad that the red head had branched out in an attempt to break her image of a weak girl that needed protecting, she couldn't help but feel even more protective over her.

"Sometimes she even messes with us." Hiyori chuckled "This is a whole another side of her I've never seen before"

Minami smiled and closed her eyes solemnly "There's a lot more to her than being shy and cute"

"I'll say."

**LUCKY STAR**

Patricia wanted to do the opening presentation for the festival – namely a cheer leading routine. Her only problem was finding a cheer dance and getting people to dance the said cheer with her.

She had videos for several routines and she had watched all of them but was particularly drawn to the cheer that was dancing to the song _Motteke! Sailor Fuku_.

As Patricia studied the video for the umpteenth time, she had finally made her decision.

_This is the one we'll use… the only problem is "we". Who will dance with me…?_ Several names popped into her mind immediately, like Hiyori, Konata, Yutaka, and Minami. _We're gonna need more. Maybe Konata can convince some of her own friends to join… _Patricia flipped her phone closed. _I'll think about that later. They're probably busy right now._

**LUCKY STAR**

The time has come for the students to return home. Most students are doing that but one particular first year – a first year member of the animation research club – remained at the school. She was Hiyori Tamura.

"Ko-senpai!" The raven haired girl said as she entered the room "I'm sorry I'm late"

"Oh, Tamura. Just the girl I've been looking for."

Ko Yasaka was a second year student and the president of the animation research club. A blond tomboy who enjoys anime. Speaking of anime, Ko had tasked the club members to create a short little animation for the festival.

"You know those key frames you sent us? We've finished with the tweens." She said as she brought out a laptop. "Look here"

Tapping the touch pad, she began shifting through some files. She brought up several images of unfinished animation frames. Most of them were rough sketches of two girls shooting at each other.

"Wow. You guys work fast." Hiyori said in amazement. She began looking through the frames but suddenly frowned. The transition between one pose to the next was smooth and flowed well... but they weren't the poses she remembered drawing – they had a lot more movement than these ones "These... these aren't the same ones I made..."

"Oh? Yeah, about that." Ko said, scratching her head. "These particular set was incomplete. I'm guessing you didn't check to see if all the files you gave me were complete?" She asked in a teasing tone

The raven haired girl's heart sank in guilt "I-I'm sorry."

"Eh, don't worry about it. We managed" The blond reassured her "Worry about your girlfriend. Looks like she's waiting for you"

"what?" Hiyori turned to see Patricia by the door with an eager look on her face**.** "Oh..."

"'Oh'?" Ko chuckled "I wouldn't want to come between you two. You're free to go for today." After moving some files, she handed Hiyori a flash drive. "Finish us those frames. We should be able to start coloring tomorrow." With a grin and salute, Ko walked out the room. As she passed Patricia, she winked, to which the American winked back in response.

"So, Hiyori. How've you been?" She asked as she slowly entered the room and closed the door. Her eyes looked at the glasses-girl intensely, a smirk forming on her lips "You busy?"

This was not an unfamiliar situation for Hiyori. Patricia had, on several occasions, gotten her alone in a room to do... lewd stuff... and this was one her favorite openers. It's not to say that Hiyori didn't enjoy the said activities she did with the blond – she took quite a bit pleasure in it – but something about Patricia's appetite for sex always made Hiyori nervous. Now was not an exception.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." She said shakily "I'm free I guess"

"Good" Patricia grinned as she walked up to the glasses-girl and grabbed her arm. "Cuz' you are coming with me" She stormed out the room with a confused Hiyori in tow.

"Wait, where are we going!?" the raven haired girl asked as she was dragged about

**[A/N: In animation, the picture on screen changes several times a second to make it look like something is moving. These are called frames. Key frames are basically the pictures that show big movements – like the start of a sword swing and the end of a swing – while tweens are the frames in-between the key frames – the pictures that show the sword mid-swing.]**

**LUCKY STAR**

"So how's your class doing?" Yutaka was asked by her blue-haired cousin. "Have my lessons been helping?"

"Yeah. They think I'm a natural"

Minami and Yutaka were cleaning the classroom and Konata had decided to pay them a little visit before she went home. She was a bit surprised that it was just the two of them in the room – apparently the others in charge of cleaning for that day had finished before the two of them.

"Lessons?" Minami asked, tilting her head.

The idea of lessons intrigued Minami. What was Konata teaching Yutaka? And whatever it was, why?

Those questions were soon to be answered as Konata perked up. "Yeah, I gave her acting lessons. Watch this" She winked at Yutaka, to which the red head responded with a smile and nod.

It would be difficult to describe Minami's feelings towards what she was about to witness

"Izumi, get over here!" Yutaka suddenly ordered, face morphing into a sneer.

Konata jumped in surprise. With panicked haste, she knelt in front of the shorter girl. "Y-yes mistress?"

Yutaka raised her nose, looking down on Konata with eyes that could cause frost bite with its coldness "I assume your job has been done?" She asked as she crossed her arms

The blunette grew wide-eyed and slowly shook her head. "N-no ma'am. I'm still working on it" She seemed to shrink, as if she was about the get hit and was bracing herself for the blow.

"Pathetic." Yutaka scowled. She bent over and grabbed Konata's hair, pulling her up to eye level. "I ordered you to be finished the moment I called you. What excuse will you give me for this failure?" She asked, maintaining un blinking eye contact.

Konata began crying "M-mistress. I'm almost done. If you can give me more time, I'm sure-"

"Silence" Yutaka placed a finger on the older girl's lips, cutting her off. With a sigh, the red head let go of Konata's hair. "Fine. I'll show you mercy. Finish your work"

Trembling, Konata bowed "Th-thank you mistress" She was about to turn away but Yutaka's voice called her back.

"Wait..." The shorter girl said. "... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to mess up your hair..." She said. Her face was still in a scowl but her eyes shied away from looking at Konata.

Konata smiled fondly and took Yutaka's hand, kneeling. "It's fine, my lady. I know you intended not harm" She looked up and suddenly grinned, causing the red head to giggle.

The two girls turned to Minami and bowed "Thank you, thank you" Konata said.

"That was..." Minami was speechless. She knew there was more to Yutaka than being a cute but fragile girl, but that was just too much for her to accept all at once. Sure, they were just pretending – that much was apparent to her – but seeing that Yutaka was capable of acting so out of character was too surreal for her to form a coherent opinion. "I... just... what?"

"Utterly stupefied by our performance, I see" Konata said smugly.

"It was just improv-acting, Minami." Yutaka said, signs of worry showing on the edges of her face. "Konata said said it was a good way to make my fortune telling believable if I learned it so she taught it to me."

Minami quickly recovered and returned to her usual poker face. "I... I think you were amazing. Even your facial expressions and body language matched the scene. It's like you were a completely different person..."

It wasn't clear whether it was Minami's voice portraying more emotion than she thought or if it was Yutaka's natural ability to read people, but for whatever reason, Minami's comment on their skit had caused the red-head to grow very distressed.

"But... It's still me." Yutaka said.

"I know. But seeing you do that... It scares me..." Minami said through grit teeth.

She really was afraid – afraid that the love of her life turned out to be someone else. She knew it was a baseless fear. She knew it was illogical to think that the Yutaka she fell in love with and the Yutaka she saw now were different. She knew, yet she still felt terrified of the what-if scenarios that began to plague her mind.

_Get a grip on yourself. _Minami screamed inside her head. _These are possibilities, not concrete facts. The only sure thing now is that you love Yutaka. Trust her. _"I'm sorry Yutaka. I'm just having trouble taking all of this in"

"I feel like you've been struggling for a while now on something that's not related me acting." The red-head told her. "Is something the matter?"

"No. I'm fi-"

"You're lying!" Yutaka said, not quite that loudly but enough to pierce the relative silence in the room. She hung her head, voice growing faint. "You're lying... whether you know it or not... there's something bothering you." She looked up at Minami, teary-eye. "Tell me what's wrong"

Konata slowly backed up. She had not expected her little skit with Yutaka to expose an issue between her and Minami that needed addressing.

"I may or may not have started something problematic." Konata said nervously as she inched towards the exit. "I think it would be a good idea for you two to talk about it" She opened the door and walked out. "I'll just leave you two alone to work things out..." She said quietly.

With that, the bluenette left them. She felt somewhat guilty for doing that but she needed to give them some space to fix whatever problem she had brought light to.

**LUCKY STAR**

Patricia had brought Hiyori up to speed as she dragged her through the hallways. _The opening ceremony... Oh god, I can't bear the thought of dancing in front of all those people._

The opening ceremony for the school festival normally involved some sort of performance by a club or a couple of students. Patricia's idea of a cheer leading routine would work perfectly for it... if it wasn't for the fact that she needed more people to dance. Thus the inclusion of Hiyori.

_She's gonna find some way to get more of us to dance, I just know she is._ Hiyori's thoughts were turned to different things when she felt the person dragging her stop abruptly.

"Oh, Kona-chan. Just the girl I've been looking for" Patricia with excitement. However, said excitement seemed to drain out of her when she saw Konata's face. "Is this a bad time?"

The blue-haired otaku's face was actually fine – she still the same youthful smile. Her eyes, however, told a different story. Within those deep emerald orbs half covered by eyelids was a sea of emotion that remained deceivingly calm. What was under the surface? Something was brewing inside the girl, that much Patricia could tell.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Just tired..." Konata assured her. After thinking for a bit, she took it back, frowning. "Actually, I sort of inadvertently started something between Yutaka and Minami – I guess I'm NOT fine after all..."

Hiyori and Patricia look at each other. The perfect couple having problems? That was surprising, to say the least.

"I actually have a favor to ask you..." Patricia said, hoping Konata was still open to them

"Well..." The bluenette's lips formed into her all too familiar cat smile. "I'm listening..."

Hiyori spoke up. "We – well, Patty, really – is trying to get a dance troop together for a cheer leading routine during the opening ceremony. Would you be part of it?"

"And, if possible, could you convince your friends to join as well?" Patty added

Konata seemed to ponder the request. "Patricia..."

_Uh oh... _Hiyori though. _She's almost never uses Patty's full name. This might be a disappointing answer..._

"Look. This is something I'd absolutely love to do..." Konata started "... But I can't. As good as I am at multi-tasking, there's just too many things taking up my time right now."

Hiyori glanced at her girlfriend. She wasn't all that angry at Konata's refusal as she was worried – or at least it looked that way.

"Oh... Could have sworn you'd say yes anyway..." The blond was lost in thought "Could you at least try to get Kagami and Tsukasa to join me?"

"I'll try but no promises." The bluenette answered "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go home now."

The two parted to let the shorter girl pass. As they watched her skip across the room, they felt the dissonance between what they saw of their senpai, and what they sensed inside her. _Konata must really be good at holding in whatever's bothering her..._

As the two were left alone in the hall, a certain silence seemed to creep up and overshadow them. "So..." Patricia said, piercing the quiet veil. "Looks like we're done for today..." She sighed and started walking away.

_Wait she's leaving too? Already? _Hiyori brought her hand up to reach out to her but hesitated. "Patty..." She whispered. She wanted to go after her. _Why? Why would I go after her? Am I really that deprived of pleasure? Am I really going to straight up ask her to have sex with me?_ The raven haired girl sighed. _What's a day? Twenty four hours. Two twelve hours. Four six hours. Eight three hours. I can probably spend that long with out her, right? S_he sighed again._ I sure hope so..._

And so, Hiyori returned to the Animation research club room to get her bag back.

**LUCKY STAR**

In the corner of classroom 1-D sat Minami and Yutaka, both of them in a fetal position, backs against the wall. They seemed to be resolving whatever issue they were apparently having.

"Konata was teaching her classmates improv for their play. She thought it would be a good idea if I learned how to act as well..." Yutaka explained. "I ended up being better at it than I expected to be..." She looked at the mint-haired girl beside her and smiled apologetically. "I only recently learned how to do this. I wasn't acting when I told you I loved you and I'm not acting now. I still love you, Minami" She returned her gaze to the floor in front of her, curling into an even tighter ball. "Your turn..."

It took some time for Minami to find her voice, but when she did, the words escaped her mouth in a slow and steady stream. "Last Tuesday, you guys went over to the Takara estate for the afternoon. When you guys left, Miyuki's mother confronted me." Minami heard a small gasp. She glanced to her side and, sure enough, Yutaka was looking at her with worried eyes. "She wasn't the same as she normally was. In place of usual passive-aggressive coldness, she seemed... sad... and scared..." She took another look at the red-head beside her. She sensed a bit of curiosity in the girl. The mint-haired girl continued...

**LUCKY STAR**

**I'm so sorry this took so long. My computer got busted so I had to get it fixed.**

**So... seems like I ended this chapter with a bit of a cliffhanger. Sorry about that.**

**Now this might be a problem. I have midterms in around two weeks. Aside from the fact that I'm not ready for exams yet, my profs also think that the final weeks of a semester is the perfect time to give us all research work and projects. There is a chance I won't be able to update on schedule for the following weeks. I'm sorry for that as well.**


	21. Hopefully it isn't a downer

**Previously, the story ended with an intervention (or at least the beginnings of one) and Minami recounting a tale of three nights ago. Let's start her story now, shall we? Hopefully it isn't a downer.  
**

**LUCKY STAR**

_It was a Tuesday night and Minami was wandering the Takara estate. She was walking in the hall that lead from the kitchen to Miyuki's room while lost in thought when she suddenly bumped into Yukari._

"_Good evening, Yukari-san"_

"_Oh... Minami... Good evening..." Yukari said coldly. Oddly enough, the woman's rather passive-aggressive response was a lot warmer than it normally was. Minami wondered if she was starting to accept her. "So... I take it your relationship with the Kobayakawa girl is going well?" The pinkette asked_

_Minami nodded. "We... we're doing okay, I guess..." She said awkwardly. _This is strange. I can tell she's still uncomfortable with being near me but I don't feel the dislike she normally radiates when I'm near... interesting... _"So..."_

"_So..." Yukari repeated. "... How long have you been dating...?"_

Well that was a question from out of the blue... What's going on here...?_ Despite her confusion, the mint haired-girl still replied curtly. "A little under two months" _What does she want to know?

"_Minami, I'm sorry for making it so hard you. For the past several weeks, I've been very mean to you and your... ah... friends... I apologize for that..." Yukari hung her head, looking legitimately regretful._

"_It's fine" Minami said automatically. The stoic girl winced inside. Sure, she was going to say that anyway, but she liked to think she had self control and that particular reflex did not help with keeping that image of herself._

"_That's somewhat of a relief. I expected that you hated me." Yukari said, relaxing a bit._

"_Don't worry, Yukari-san. It's okay." Personally, Minami didn't feel her reason justified her... unpleasant actions, but she saw no reason to hold a grudge. Besides, justified or not, at least she's saying sorry. "We disliked the way you acted towards us, but we knew you had a reason."_

"_A reason... yes..." The pinkette gave another sigh. "To be honest, I still feel very uncomfortable with your relationship. Whenever I see you and Yutaka-chan, a certain pain shoots through my heart. I really wish it didn't..."_

"_You can't help what you feel, Yukari-san." Minami said in an attempt to reassure her._

"_It's just... You look so much like your mother." The mint haired girl blinked. It was true. She couldn't deny it. But what did it have to do with anything? "You know that Honoka and I had dated at one point, right?" After the younger girl nodded, Yukari continued. "It was in high school. I was a senior and she was a freshman. No one even knew we were together. We actually started in the Christmas before school started... but that's for another story..."_

_The two decided to sit down on the nearby couch._

"_Our time together, while happy, was never the most stable of relationships. We fought a lot over the most insignificant things, usually breaking up shortly after. Somehow we always managed to get back together"_

_Minami was surprised to say the least. She couldn't really imagine her mother and Yukari fighting. Then again, she never expected that the woman in front of her could act so cold, nor did she expect the very same woman to apologize. The mint haired girl shelved her thoughts for later examination and let the older woman continue_

"_Then one day, we had a particularly unpleasant argument. We both ended up saying things we later regretted. It was the worst break up I had with her... and the last." Yukari's eyes were glistening. She looked like she was just about ready to cry but no tears fell. "I expected to make up after a few days but we never did. It wasn't until after I graduated did I learn that she actually took another girlfriend."_

_Minami almost didn't want to know but still she asked "... who was she?"_

_Yukari grit her teeth and forced herself to continue. "Her name was Yuki Izumi... She looked just like the girl you were dating..."_

_Minami was astonished. _Wasn't Yutaka's mother named Yuki?_ Again, she set aside the questions for later._

"_Your mother and I were close and we had a lot in common. The only problem was that we didn't love each other – or at least I thought I didn't. I was wrong. So very wrong..." She closed her eyes, preventing the stream of tears from flowing. "It wasn't until I found out we weren't getting back together that I finally realized that I did in fact love Honoka." She began to sob quietly._

_Minami wasn't sure how to react so she just sat there awkwardly next to the crying woman. "Uh... there there..." She patted the pinkette's shoulder in an attempt to cheer her up._

_After a few minutes, Yukari stopped the flow of tears. "I... I'm sorry. I-I'm okay now..." After a deep breath, she regained her composure, although her eyes were still red._

"_The girl, Yuki. She was a first year. Turns out, she had a crush on Honoka and confessed to her a few days after our fight. She didn't know about us and I don't think Honoka ever told her..."_

"_I... I don't know what to say." Minami said helplessly. There was so much she WANTED to say but she couldn't find the right words. As always, speech felt like a barrier she always had to break through but just COULDN'T._

"_You don't have to say anything. It's a lot to take in" Yukari was in a melancholic state. She sat limply on the cushioned bench – had she not been leaning on the wall, she would have fallen off her seat. "I don't know why your mother ended up staying with the other girl. Maybe it's because she and I argue too much. Maybe she got sick of me. Maybe she wanted a girlfriend her own age. Maybe just felt more loved with the other girl..." She continued on like this._

_Minami could usually tell when someone was going down a downward spiral and this was likely to be the case. "What's done is done. You can't change the past" The mint hared girl said, snapping the woman out of her daze._

"_Oh... I'm sorry. I think I blanked out there" As Yukari's eyes refocused, she seemed to scowl. "It's my understanding that your case it the complete opposite of ours...?"_

_The younger girl blinked. Why the sudden topic change? "... what do you mean?"_

"_From what Honoka tells me, you two are the perfect couple. You never get into fights. Never experience any jealousy. It's almost weird how well your relationship is going. I don't think AYNTHING can pull you two apart"_

"_Uh..." As crazy as it felt, what Yukari was saying seemed to make Minami self conscious._

_She was correct, though. Fights between the two were all but non existent and the jealousy they felt was more of the incentive-to-improve kind rather than outraged-and-spiteful kind. Over all, their relationship was probably the smoothest one Minami's ever seen or heard of. The only thing that could come between them would be Yutaka's frailness – if she got sick or injured, there was nothing the mint haired girl could do besides care for the girl and hope that her body could fix itself._

_Minami blinked. _There IS something I can do. I can prevent her from getting sick or injured. It's what I've always been doing. I will protect her!

**LUCKY STAR**

"I guess after that, I became a bit overprotective of you..." Minami said, her voice thick with guilt. She closed her eyes solemnly. "After all those times I told people there was more to you than being weak and shy – that you were stronger then people assume. It's almost as if I didn't really believe it myself..."

As the mint haired girl curled up into an even tighter ball, Yutaka couldn't help but feel that there was more to this than her confrontation with Yukari.

She had been moody all week, going from happy, to sad, then to angry in only a span of a few minutes. Granted, the stoic had kept those emotions under a nigh perfect mask, but it doesn't change the fact that it happened. That said, there had to be something else – something more – to explain her behavior. A talk with her surrogate aunt wouldn't be enough to make her act the way she did but it would be the perfect catalyst for a chain reaction involving whatever had been eating at her.

"Minami... That's not all of it..." Yutaka said, trembling. She seemed to holding back tears "I can feel it... There's more... what else is wrong...?" She looked at the girl next to her and pleaded for an answer

Minami hung her head and tightened her hug on her knees. She struggled to think of the words to describe what else was hurting her but nothing came to mind. She couldn't explain it.

"I don't know." She said with a look for pain and confusion on her face. "I don't know..." She turned to the red head and whispered. "I'm scared, Yutaka. I've been scared for a while and I _don't know_ why. WHY?"

Despite the softness of her voice, Yutaka heard every agonizing word. "We stand together." She said, quoting Minami "You're not alone. I'm here. We'll get through this"

Minami breathed in a shaky deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "Thank you..." She said, still trembling but relaxing ever so slightly.

The red head pulled the mint-haired girl closer. She was still confused as to what was bothering her girlfriend, but she took comfort that she was able to help, even just a little. She just wished Minami wouldn't keep all her feelings bottled up. Whatever emotions her encounter with Yukari had released, Yutaka doubted that was all of them...

**LUCKY STAR**

It was a slow day at the cosplay cafe where Konata and Patricia worked at. That said, the employee's were just lazing around – still in costume, mind you.

Konata was clad in a green schoolgirl uniform with a long black coat draped over her shoulders. A pendant hung from a small chain around her neck and a collapsible replica katana was hidden inside her coat. Finally, a red wig completed the outfit.

Patricia, on the other hand, was wearing a purple business suit, with a skirt reaching just under her knees. On her face were fake glasses and hanging from her shoulder was a book large enough to stand on and still have space.

"Are you sure you're good for today? I thought you said you were tired." Patricia asked the shorter girl

"Eh, yeah I am. But this is something I have to do. Gotta save up, you know?" Konata said

"Save up for what? You didn't even go to Comiket last summer so you must have saved up a lot of money. What's so expensive that you need so much?"

"Hmm... of the top of my head, I'd say electric bills are expensive." Konata replied casually. "And phone bills; water bills; cable bills; lot and lots of bills"

Patricia cringed "Yikes. You must have it rough. Couldn't you just cut down on stuff you don't need? I'm sure that subscription to your MMO could go."

Konata looked at the blond with an intense glare – made even more intense by the red contact lenses she was wearing. "Perhaps you should mind your own business?" She asked it politely with a kind smile but the underlying venom in her voice said otherwise.

The taller girl seemed to take offense "Wow, okay. I was only suggesting. No need to lose your temper." She sighed. "You know, I kinda feel bad about how you're doing now..."

"Eh, thanks for the sympathy, I guess?" Konata said, scratching her head. "It's nice to know you care, at least"

A girl called out to the two of them. She was wearing a green wig, a shrine priestess outfit, and carried a large staff with various rings on its head that clinked every time it moved. "Guys, a customer is coming. Get into character" She yelled in a monotone voice.

Konata cleared her throat and practiced her tsundere voice for a few lines. Patricia, likewise, practiced her condescending woman voice.

And so began work for that day.

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa and Kagami walked quietly back to their house from the grocery store. It was a peaceful night and the two were taking their time to appreciate such a rare occurrence so early in the evening.

Kagami was the first one to break the silence. "Did we remember everything they asked us to buy for groceries?"

"Ah... I... don't know. I think so?" Tsukasa replied as she shifted through the contents of the plastic bag she was carrying.

"Say... Tsukasa..." The twin tailed girl began. "You know how your class is doing a play and all? What's your role in it?" She asked, legitimately curious.

"Hmm? I'm the lead role."

"Oh you're the lea- What!? W-w-wait... wait... just wait... WHAT?" Kagami was stammering. "What?"

The younger twin shrunk from her sister's display of disbelief. "Is that something wrong...?"

After herself calming down, the tsundere scratched her head, feeling more than a little guilty for making her sister feel bad. "Eh, no nothing's wrong with it. I guess I was just really surprised. I mean... REALLY surprised..."

"I was surprised too." Tsukasa agreed and then added enthusiastically "And Konata said I'm really good at acting."

"Really?" Kagami blinked. She was skeptical about whether Konata's compliment on Tsukasa's acting skills had merit but she was willing to suspend her disbelief for her sister's sake. "Okay. I was going to watch your play anyway, but now you've got me interested. Who are you playing?"

"I play the queen of a country. She sort of gets drunk on power after her knights win against an enemy kingdom that kidnapped their princess. She tries to take over the world but is very bad at it."

"Sounds more like a role that would suit Konata." The older twin commented

"She wrote the script. Most of the class actually wanted HER to play the lead. She refused."

"Oh? That's surprising. She normally loves the spot light..." Kagami then realized something "Come to think of it, unlike her, you _hate_ being in the spot light. What made you agree with taking the lead role?"

"Ah... well..." Tsukasa thought for a bit.

She flashed back to last Wednesday, when the entire class voted her to become one of the main characters. Their face of expectation was enough to shoot down every attempt at declining from the role. She was about to cry when Konata walked by and whispered "I know you can do it. You'd make an awesome lead." Suffice it to say, that was enough for Tsukasa to accept the role

"I guess you could say Konata convinced me?"

Kagami sighed. "I swear. That girl is so persuasive she could con the devil into going to church."

The two arrived home shortly after that statement. As Kagami used her keys to unlock the door, Tsukasa afforded herself a small smile.

S_ure, i__t didn't take much to convince me, __but__ if I didn't __let myself __be convinced__, I would never have known I was good at something else besides cooking. I have Konata to thank for that._

The two entered the house and was greeted by their mother.

**LUCKY STAR**

It was already fairly late but Minami and Yutaka had yet to leave their classroom. The two were still sitting in the corner, albeit in the middle of a particularly passionate kiss.

"Yutaka..." Minami breathed as she pulled away, cheeks flushed.

"Ah... Mi... na... mi..." Yutaka panted, looking longingly at her girlfriend's tantalizing blue eyes.

They almost immediately locked lips once more.

One would normally wonder how they went from simultaneously breaking down in tears to having a hot make out session. The two were that of same boat as they too had no idea how they ended up doing what they were doing. Although, considering the last thing they remembered was a tight hug and a peck on the lips while they were both sobbing quietly before it became of blur of sensations, it could be inferred that it just snow balled from there.

As the two separated again, it seemed that Yutaka had become exhausted. She fell forward and leaned limply into Minami's chest. The mint haired girl was, likewise, quite tired and rested her back to the wall, enjoying the warmth of the redhead cuddling her.

"Yutaka... do you want to eat out?" Minami asked

Yutaka looked at her with sleepy eyes and answered. "Sure... What do you... have in mind?"

"I know this nice quiet diner near the station. They have pretty good noodles." To which Yutaka responded with a nod

Minami helped the tired girl up and they both left the classroom.

**LUCKY STAR**

[LUCKY CHANNEL!]

[Hiya, luckies! My name is Akira Kogami, and I will be your navigator for today]

[And I'm Minoru Shiraishi, the assistant. It's finally the start of the weekend.]

[You know, I've been wondering. You've been awfully cheerful this past week. _It's been getting on my nerves. What gives?_]

[Ah. Well, my school's festival starts next week. I guess you can say I'm excited]

[_Really now. Tell me, what's your class going to do?_]

[We're doing a play. I'm actually the lead actor]

[_You? Lead actor? How bad IS that class that they had to resort to you?_]

[I happen to be a fairly competent actor.]

[_Ha, I'll believe you when I see it._]

[You don't have to see it. You don't deserve such an honor!]

[Hey, what's with that tone? _How dare you act condescending to me!? __Show some respect!_]

[How dare I? This is retribution, whelp! This is similar to how you act towards me! And you expect me to give you respect? Don't make me laugh!]

[…]

[Oh, what the heck. I'll laugh anyway!]

[Minoru, stop, you're scaring me... I get it, you're a good actor.]

[… Eh... Sorry... and thanks...]

[…]

[…]

[Well that was awkward... _No thanks to you..._]

[Hey! How else was I supposed to show-]

[This next song is "Oath Sign" by LiSA. Enjoy!]

[Hey, don't just cut me off like that-]

[_Shut up, the song's start-_]

\- voice cut -

**LUCKY STAR**

The Hiiragi family – Miki, Inori, Matsuri, Kagami, and Tsukasa – sat at the table for dinner. The only family member not there to partake in the meal was Tadao due to a business trip he had to go on.

As the Hiiragi women ate their food, the oldest of them spoke up. "You know... I've been wondering. What are you two doing for the school festival this year?" Miki asked her two youngest daughters.

"We're doing a play" Tsukasa said cheerfully

"And you'll never believe this." Kagami said. "Tsukasa's the lead actress"

Immediately, the table exploded with conversation. Various words ranging from "how" and "why" to "amazing" and "impossible" were thrown around, most of them targeting Tsukasa. All vocal activity was soon brought to an abrupt halt when Miki made and ear splitting whistle.

The indigo-haired woman removed her fingers from her mouth and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Tsukasa, you were saying?"

The youngest sister continued. "We're doing a play about a queen who tries to take over the world but can't win. Its a comedy"

"And the main character is nothing like her." Kagami said with a chuckle. "To be honest, I can't wait to see her play, if only to see Tsukasa play someone completely different."

"I'd love to see it too" Miki agreed. "What about you, Kagami? What's you're class doing?"

The tsundere almost immediately blushed. "Ah well... we..." She was clearly reluctant to tell them so Tsukasa decided to help

"They're doing a swimsuit cafe" The younger twin said.

Again, the three older sisters began speaking all at once only to be silenced by another shrill whistle by the Hiiragi matriarch. "That's a rather... bold choice." She commented.

"Well, it wasn't mine. It was the first thing that was suggested and no one had any better ideas." Kagami said with a sigh. "... Not that it doesn't come with its perks..." She added under her breath

"I bet you're looking forward to seeing Kusakabe in a swimsuit." Matsuri teased. When the tsundere blushed, she released the laugh she was holding in. "I knew it! Oh kagami, you freakin' perv!"

"S-shut up! It's not like that!" Kagami retorted. Her cheeks were burning and her blood was boiling – the mental image of Misao in a swimsuit was not helping. To hide her embarrassment, she turned her head down to face the table.

Dinner continued on like that.

**LUCKY STAR**

The Izumi household was quiet that night. There was no sound of anime on TV nor any games being played on the PC. It was almost too quiet.

Granted, there was a reason. For one, Konata had to cut down on spending, which meant she had to cut down on electricity usage, which meant she had to select what type of fun to have. The television and computer couldn't be both turned on at the same time – she had to choose one or the other. That said, it meant she also had to budget her time as well.

Time management was never something the bluenette was good at, and it showed. That night, she planned to play her MMO for an hour and then log out to watch her anime. The particular raid she participated in lasted far longer than she expected and ended up taking twenty more minutes than she had planned. By the time she finally finished playing the game and went offline, her anime was already over.

So there she stayed in her room, on her bed, alone, with the entire house to herself, doing stuff. Most perverts would say she was touching herself, and most of the time they would be correct, but at that particular moment, she was doing something else. She was doing her homework

Out of sheer boredom, Konata Izumi was doing her assignments. She herself couldn't believe what she was doing. She was almost glad, and at the same time, disappointed, when the door bell rang and interrupted her.

_Why do I feel mad that the door bell made me stop doing homework...? _Konata shook her head. She could have an internal debate about that later. The bluenette jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs. _Speaking of the door bell, the person who rung it must be Yu-chan... Wow, she's really late._

Sure enough, when Konata opened the door, the person behind it was "... Minami... Good evening?" The mint haired girl stood in front of the otaku, towering a head or so taller. Sitting comfortably in her arms was Yutaka, sleeping soundly as the stoic held her. Seeing it made Konata smile. _Well ain't that cute._

"Good evening, Izumi-san."

"First name's fine. Evening, Minami" The bluenette said casually. "C'mon. Let's get her to bed"

Minami nodded and entered the house. As the taller girl took off her own shoes, Konata went to work in removing Yutaka's shoes.

"Good work getting her home" The shorter girl said. "Though, I've gotta wonder, why are you two so late?"_ Perhaps you've taken your relationship to the next level, hehehe_

"We had dinner at this place near the station" Minami stated

_Oh... not what I was expecting but... _"The one will the awesome noodles? Aw man, I'd have loved to go there today!" Konata sighed.

Upon reaching Yutaka's room, Minami gently lowered her onto the bed. With a smirk, the bluenette next to her suggested "Wanna change her into her pajamas? I'm sure that'll be fun"

The stoic's face remained impassive but she couldn't control the blood rushing to her face when she heard that. Konata could almost see the hunger in her eyes.

"Oh, never mind. Doesn't seem like you'd be able to hold back anyway" She joked, not quite realizing she had said that though aloud.

The mint haired girl grew somewhat wide eyed at the bluenette's statement. A look of guilt, albeit subtle, appeared on her face.

_Oh boy... _Konata grew somewhat worried. "Hey, no need to look so down. You're hers and she's yours. There's nothing wrong with wanting her."

Minami nodded mechanically. It seems that she managed to reign-in her emotions and was now practically a robot. "I'll be going home now, Izumi-san"

"Call me Konata..." With a deep breath, she continued. "Alright. C'mon, I'll walk you to the door."

As the two walked the hallway leading downstairs, they passed Sojiro's room. Konata glanced at the door and shook her head. _Ah. Now I remember why I was doing my homework..._

When they reached the door, Konata bid Minami good night.

_Well... tonight took a turn for the depressing..._

**LUCKY STAR**

**So... The last chapter was about week ago. To compensate, here's a chapter that's twice the normal length... or at least twice the length I've been doing since started updating bi-weekly.**

**Speaking of which, I think I might return to weekly updates. It's still around 5k words a week regardless.**

**Anyway...**

**I had a surprising amount of difficulty finding a way to describe Miki's hair color (considering I only used it in one line). Had I not compared pics of her to the insane amounts of color name references I have, I'd have resulted in just calling her hair "dark violet". It would have been wrong, too. Her hair was actually way more blue than red, making it look closer to indigo, which was the color I used. **

**I also had difficulty writing Yukari and Minami's scene. It went through several revisions and, even now, I'm not happy with it. I wanted her to be redeemable but I can't convince myself that she is in my story.**

**I'm also not all that sure about that last part with Konata. In my opinion, that last section was actually one of the better ones. It's just that I have a vague idea of a better way to have done it and I can't seem to put it on paper... so to speak...**

***sigh* Whatever. It's time to end this end note. See you guys in a week, probably.**


	22. Dramatic morning

**So here's the next chapter to the festival arc set a day after the last chapter, and boy is it a dramatic morning.**

**LUCKY STAR**

"Onee-chan, it's time to wake up"

It was a fairly early Saturday morning and all but one member of the Izumi household was awake. Yutaka woke up earlier than she normally did because she apparently fell asleep a few minutes after the dinner she and Minami had part took in and needed to be carried home. Sojiro, on the other hand, had only just arrived that morning from work. That leaves us with Konata, who was, in essence, a paralyzed girl on the bed – she was awake but whatever strength she had wasn't enough to get her to move.

"Onee-chan, we have to go to school" Yutaka insisted as she shook her apparently sleeping cousin. Upon turning the girl to face her, the red head found that she had her eyes open, albeit dead and unfocused. "... are you alright?" She asked in a worried tone.

Eyes coming back into focus, Konata blinked. "I'll be up in a bit..." She said as she sluggishly rolled out of bed, landing on her face. "You can go. This might take some time..."

Yutaka pursed her lips as she watched the girl crawl on the floor, trying to get on her feet. She wanted to say something but thought better of it. Instead, she said "I hope you're okay with just sunny-side eggs. I'm not very good at cooking anything else." With that, the pig-tailed girl walked out of the room, quietly sliding the door closed.

"Hey, Yu-chan" As Yutaka entered the kitchen, she was met with a smile from her uncle. Sojiro, dressed in surprisingly good looking clothes, gave a tired smile.

The man had just come home from work – work he never told the two girls about. Yutaka often wondered why that was the case and attempted to bring up the topic of what his work exactly WAS on multiple occasions but never had the guts to follow through. _But why, though? Why doesn't he want us to know? _Curious as she was, she never got an answer

"How's Konata doing?" He asked.

"I think she's depressed." Yutaka sighed. "It's like getting up is one of the hardest things in the world for her."

"Oh..." Sojiro looked devastated. Her daughter, depressed? How did that happen? What could he do to help? "... Do you think I can cheer her up...?"

"I hope so. We won't know unless you try."

The man took it as his cue to try his luck. He got up from the kitchen table and nervously walked to Konata's room. Yutaka could only watch as her uncle climbed the stairs leading to her cousin's room. _I hope she __starts feeling__ better._

"DAD!" The red-head heard. It seemed a whole lot happier than her earlier tone.

_Huh. I guess she just missed seeing uncle Sojiro. She is her dad, after all... Come to think of it, I miss mom a lot too..._

Yutaka shook her head and awaited the Izumis to enter the kitchen. When they did, the shorter girl was glad to see that Konata seemed a whole lot happier.

**LUCKY STAR**

The Hiiragi household was quieter than usual. As it was the weekend, most of its occupants were sleeping in. Unfortunately, it didn't include the two youngest sisters in the family. Tsukasa and Kagami had school that day, believe it or not, so they had to be awake.

Not that they were required to go, strictly speaking. Going to school on the weekend for festival preparation was "optional". They didn't exactly have much of a choice, though, considering Kagami was the class rep and Tsukasa was the lead actress.

That said, the two of them were taking advantage of the slightly more lenient rules for tardiness and dress code due to the occasion. Namely, they were picking what to wear and taking their time.

Tsukasa stood in front of a mirror, examining herself. She wore a plaid green blouse and her blue jeans, completed with the yellow ribbon in her hair. It was a simple outfit but she felt comfortable in it. With a smile and nod, she stepped away from the mirror, satisfied with how she looked.

The younger twin then moved into the hall and knocked on her sister's door. "Sis, are you ready yet?" The door immediately opened and Tsukasa was pulled into the room.

"Tsukasa, I have a big problem." Kagami said in a somewhat panicked tone.

"What?" The Tsukasa looked back with a confused expression. She saw Kagami in a red collared-shirt and gray shorts. She didn't notice anything wrong till she saw Kagami's hair. She had a single pony tail on the left side of her head with the right side untied and hanging loose. "Did you lose one of your ribbons?"

"What am I going to do!? If I go to school looking like this, who knows what people will say. They might come to the same conclusion you did and think I lost it. Then people would stop trusting me with things. I might get a reputation for losing things. I might never get a job and be able to support myself. I'd have to live off of mom and dad for the rest of my life. I don't want that. I don't-I don't-I don't-"

Tsukasa held Kagami by the shoulders and pulled her close. "Breathe." She said calmly. After the older twin's breathing stabilized, the younger stepped back continued. "I don't think this is a big deal. I actually think you look pretty good."

"I..."

"I'm sure Misao will love your new hair style. I know Konata will." She added

The tsundere blushed a bit. "But-"

"Kagami, relax. It's just a ribbon. I lose mine all the time"

Kagami blinked. "... I don't think that's a good comparison..." She sighed. "... But I guess you're right. It's just a ribbon... I actually feel a bit silly for worrying about it."

"Don't be. It was important to you, wasn't it? Just don't let it eat at you." Tsukasa said with a smile.

"... R-right..." Kagami nodded shakily, not quite over her panic attack. "... I just lose it over the littlest things, don't I..." She chuckled dryly.

"C'mon, let's sit down for a bit." Tsukasa said, leading her sister to the bed.

**LUCKY STAR**

Unsurprisingly, Miyuki was one of the first people to arrive at Ryoo. She had awoken that morning to the sound of her alarm clock which she always forgets to set at a later time during the weekends.

_Why is it that __I can completely memorize random facts of trivia but I have trouble remembering alarm times and when I set the microwave._ Miyuki sighed. _Perhaps its compensation for all the things I excel in... Although, if that were the case, I'd say the compensation isn't enough to be balanced..._

As the pinkette's thoughts continued to wander, she entered the classroom, noticing that there were two people already occupying the room – A certain Lucky Channel duo

"Good morning, Shiraishi-san" Miyuki greeted. "Good morning Kogami-san"

"Morning Takara-san" Minoru smiled and waved

"_Do I know you?_" Akira asked, looking at Miyuki with narrow eyes

"Uh... Kogami-san, it's me, Miyuki Takara. We met around two months ago?"

"_Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell._" The short girl said, looking away. "_Besides, if I met an air head as busty as you, I'd probably remember, now won't I?_"

Miyuki sweat dropped. This wasn't the first time the red head pretended not to know her. Nor was it the second. In fact, she did it every time they met, not that Miyuki was sure – she had forgotten at this point.

_It irks me a bit that Kogami-san does not like me. Why is that? Why does she not like me and why do I not like that fact?_

"So, Shiraishi-san, what occasion is it that Ms. Akira Kogami is here?" Miyuki asked

"She's in junior high right now. Next year, she's gonna become a highschool student so I figured I'd let her see our class at work." Minoru explained. "Normally they visit DURING the festival, but the process is just as important as the result"

The pinkette giggled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were her parent. You sounded very fatherly just now." She teased, knowing fully what Akira's reaction would be.

"_Excuse me?_" The salmon-haired girl growled. She smiled menacingly at Miyuki. "_You already know that Minoru and I aren't father and daughter. Why do you imply otherwise?_" She said through her grit teeth.

"I thought we never met before? Wouldn't it be the normal assumption?" Miyuki said innocently, earning a glare from the shorter girl.

_It's surprisingly satisfying to tease people. I can see __why__ Konata finds it so appealing. _She thought, enjoying the exercise in wit.

Before Akira could retort, Minoru cut in. "You were asking for it, Ms. Akira." He scolded. The idol scowled at him before she angrily turned away from the other two.

As Akira fumed some distance away, Miyuki and Minoru shared a small laugh. "Tell the truth now, Shiraishi-san. What's the real reason you brought her to festival preparations?"

"Honestly? She wanted to see me act." Minoru said. "So I figured, since we're both free on the weekends-"

"relatively speaking" Miyuki commented

"_Since we're both free on weekends.._." Minoru repeated. "I thought why not let her join me in practice. She could watch in the sidelines"

"Huh... I guess that makes sense."

"By the way. A bit out of topic, but Satomi called me yesterday. I don't think our male class rep's gonna show up today." Minoru told her. "Something about family troubles"

"That's... unfortunate..." The pinkette didn't know what to say. While it wasn't particularly bad news, it was certainly news she didn't expect.

"I know, right?" The boy agreed. "Here's hoping stuff goes back to normal for him in time for him to see the play"

And then Akira cut in. "Minoru, does this place have a cafeteria? I'm starving." She asked, looking at the costumes draped over the chairs

"You ate breakfast, didn't you?" Minoru asked in exasperation.

"I'm still hungry"

"You had and entire loaf and seven strips of bacon! How much can you eat!?"

"_Just shut up and answer the question._"

Miyuki watched the two argue and smiled. _Their relationship with each other is __exactly __the same as when they're recording. __They're almost always fighting yet they're still remarkably close. It's amazing._

"Miyuki, we're gonna go to the cafeteria a bit. Wanna' come with?" Minoru offered. When Miyuki declined, he nodded. "Okay then. See you later"

So once again, Miyuki was left in the room, alone. She sighed at took a seat, waiting for the others to arrive at school.

**LUCKY STAR**

A blue minivan screeched into view of the school, filling the air with the smell of gasoline and burning rubber – a very unusual thing for a minivan to be able to do.

From inside of it, three people went out: A woman with ocean blue hair, a green collard shirt, and white pants who exited with a smile, a short girl with with hair of cobalt blue, a long sleeve shirt of black, and shorts of white doing her best not to spill her breakfast onto the pavement, and an even shorter girl with rosy red hair, wearing a pretty pink dress whose face was a few shades short of dying. Namely, Yui, Konata, and Yutaka.

Konata stumbled out of the car looking more than a little sick. "uhhhg. Now I remember why I take the train..." Konata looked at Yui in disgust. "How can you subject Yutaka to that torture every single day?"

"Hey, I have no control over myself when I'm behind the wheel!" The woman defended.

"Then that's even worse!"

"It's okay, Onee-chan. I'm used to it." Yutaka said, dissuading the bluenette from further antagonizing her sister. "Thanks for the ride, sis."

"No prob." Yui gave a salute and then returned to her car. The clutch and gear shift could be heard from the outside before it was drowned out by the revving of engines. As the minivan accelerated away from them, with a cloud of dust and smoke trailing behind it, Konata and Yutaka could only sweat drop at the woman's atrocious driving, remembering quite well that she was supposed to be a traffic cop.

"Yutaka." Someone called. Recognizing the voice, the two turned to face Minami who was standing by the school entrance. She was wearing a plain white blouse and black slacks. The mint haired girl gave a small wave.

The two walked towards her and, upon reaching their destination, Minami knelt in front of Yutaka, touching her forehead with hers to see if she had a fever. "No fever." She pressed her ear against her chest. "Breathing... normal... pulse... normal." She stood up and asked "Just motion sickness, then?" then turned to Konata. "You as well?"

Konata smiled weakly at both the scene she just witnessed and also at the question directed at her. Smiling as about as much she could do, lest she accidentally eject her undigested food from her stomach.

"She's not used to sis's driving." Yutaka said helpfully.

The stoic nodded and picked up the bluenette, intending to carry her to the nurse's office. Yutaka grabbed hold of Minami's sleeve and followed.

"Thanks for this..." Konata managed.

"It's no problem, Onee-chan" Yutaka said, with Minami nodding in agreement.

And so they walked

**LUCKY STAR**

On the train, Kagami was strangely nervous. She had decided pony tail her hair, angling it to be a little to the left.

Despite the fact that the people surrounding her were strangers whose opinions didn't matter to her, she still felt conscious about her looks. She could have sworn every face she looked at averted their gaze the moment she laid eyes upon them, convinced that they were staring at her.

It wasn't that her appearance made much of a difference. The tsundere knew quite well that her fears were baseless and illogical. Unfortunately, no matter how logically she looked at the situation, the fact of the matter was that she was terrified.

Her only comfort was Tsukasa.

The younger twin sat, lost in her own imagination, oblivious to reality. Kagami could feel her sister's ignorance of the world. It calmed her somehow.

Kagami suddenly felt someone squeez her hand

The older twin blinked. She glanced at her sister sitting next to her and realized that she snapped out of her trance. She must have been more in tune with reality than Kagami realized and felt her declining emotional state.

"Relax Kagami. You look fine." Tsukasa said with an encouraging smile.

She could only nod in response.

_When did Tsukasa get so confident? I remember back when we first started high school, she was all stressed out that we weren't classmates anymore. Fast forward to now, it's me who's the nervous wreck – and all because of a stupid ribbon..._

When the train reached their stop, the two got off, with Tsukasa pushing Kagami by the shoulders. This action continued as they walked from the station to school.

_Our roles have been reversed. She's doing exactly what I used to do when she falls asleep on the train... She's also the one who's waking me up for school..._

Kagami stopped walking, earning a worried look from Tsukasa when there was suddenly resistance to her pushing.

_She can wake up on her own now. She can cook her own food. She's even doing her homework without my help... She doesn't need me anymore. She's moved past me. Everyone's moving past me..._

"Onee-chan, what's wrong?"

_Tsukasa's worrying about how to keep Konata fed... Konata's dealing with financial troubles... Me? I'm having panic attacks over my freaking hair style. Pathetic..._

Kagami was just about the break down in tears when a particular girl in a blue track suit who jogged past the two Hiiragis before realizing who the two lavender-haired girls were and back pedaled.

"Morning Imouto. Heya, Kagami." The girl was Misao Kusakabe, who grinned at the two.

"I know it's okay to be selfish, but to what end? How selfish too selfish?" Kagami muttered, not looking up to face Misao. "I don't want to be left alone..."

"Oh no..." The brunette looked at Kagami with alarm. Likewise, Tsukasa stared at her sister, visibly worried. They moved the tsundere to a nearby alleyway to keep from any unwanted listeners. The said girl continued her murmuring as the two were getting her out of sight.

"Hey, Imouto, what's the matter with Kagami? How did it get this bad?" Misao whispered

"She almost had an attack a few hours ago when she lost her ribbon." Tsukasa replied. "I tried to stop it but I guess I only slowed it down."

"I guess that's why she changed her hair style. Still though, an attack because of her ribbon?"

"I think worries have been piling up and she's been ignoring them. It probably made this attack worse than what it would have been normally."

Once they were secluded, Tsukasa hugged Kagami tightly. "Tell me whats wrong..." She whispered in a calm soothing voice. "Please..."

"I've been left behind..." Tears began flowing out of the pony tailed girl's eyes. "I'm alone..."

"I'm still here. Everyone's still here. We haven't left you."

"... you don't need me..." She began trembling.

Tsukasa hugged even tighter. "Of course we need you..."

"No you don't!"

"Yes we do!"

When Kagami didn't respond, Tsukasa sighed. She let go of her sister and turned to Misao, whispering. "I know what the problem is but I don't think she'll listen to me. Please help"

"What do you have in mind?"

After a few seconds of conversation, Misao approached Kagami who was sobbing quietly, oblivious of her surroundings.

"Kagami, why do you think we don't need you?" She asked. Kagami only shook her head slowly. "More to the point, why does it matter?" The tsundere covered her eyes with her hands, shaking her head with more vigor. "I don't need you, but I sure as hell WANT you. We've been over this! I WANT YOU, KAGAMI!" Misao shouted, pulling off the hands covering the crying girl's face. As tears trickled down her girlfriend's cheeks, the brunette pulled her into a hug, pressing her face against hers. "I want you in my life. Tsukasa wants you in her life. Everyone does. You're not alone."

Kagami didn't respond. How could she? Her energy for the entire day had been drained by her anxieties. Granted, she no longer felt the said anxieties as she felt earlier, but even so, energy lost is still lost. She did, however, manage a weak smile, which was enough for Tsukasa and Misao who sighed in relief.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Kagami finally spoke up "Thank you..." She said under her breath. "Now I wish I wasn't so tired..."

"You're tired?" Misao asked in confusion. "But it's so early in the morning."

The pony-tailed girl pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, Misao. Not that kind of 'tired'. I'm emotionally exhausted today..."

"But we can't have that. You're the class rep. You HAVE to be present today."

"I know." She said in exasperation. "I'm still going to school. I just wish I wasn't so drained."

"Actually, I think I can solve that problem." Tsukasa said helpfully "I mean, I think Misao can"

"Well you're full of answers today aren't you?" Kagami deadpanned. _Not that I mind... _"Okay, lay it on me"

"Make out." This immediately earned a flick to the forehead by her sister.

"Damn it, Tsukasa. You're becoming as perverted as Konata..."

"No, that's not what I meant." The younger twin said, rubbing her forehead. "When me and Konata make out, I always feel so full of energy afterward... though normally my body gets really tired at that point so I fall asleep..."

Kagami covered her face and held up her palm towards her twin. "W-w-wait. You mean to tell me that you two have made out more than once...?"

"Uh... yes?"

"... right..." _My sister has been making out with my best friend... __and it's safe to assume they kissed more than Misao and I have, though considering we've only kissed twice, I don't think that's difficult to achieve... __Kissing Misao, though... making out with her..._ The tsundere looked at her girlfriend tiredly. She looked back with a hungry and eager expression. She was so ready for it. "You know what? Fine. Maybe this'll work."

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata, having just recovered from her earlier motion sickness, was walking the school, with classroom 3-B being her destination.

Just as she reached the last step of the stairs leading to the third years' hallway, she heard a familiar voice call out to her. "Oi, midget! Wait up!" Already knowing who it was, Konata turned to face the person who called her. "Yo, what's up?'

The person in question was Misao, accompanied by Konata's beloved Tsukasa and her sister, a surprisingly blissful looking Kagami.

_Speaking of Kagami._ "Good morning guys. As for what's up, can we talk about Kagami's new hair style?" Konata looked at the tsundere's head and smirked. "Side pony tail. Good choice. Works WAY better than the regular pony tail." She said, snikering.

Kagami became flustered upon noticing the bluenette's gaze. "H-hey. Stop looking at me with those pervy eyes..."

"Aw, Kagamin is acting all tsundere again"

"S-shut up, I'm not a tsundere!" The tsundere shouted

"C'mon, Kagamin. Just accept the compliment. The new look suits you. Seriously" The otaku insisted. "Oh, and off topic a bit but why'd you look so stupidly happy earlier?"

The bluenette's query did a few things. First, it flustered Misao. Second, it caused Kagami's blush to turn a few shades darker. Third, it seemed to perk Tsukasa up as she suddenly approached Konata pushed her to the wall.

With unusual bluntness, the younger twin looked Konata in the eye and said. "They had a hot make out session in front of me and I really wanna do that too." And then they kissed

The kiss was deep and long and when they finally broke away from each other, both were out of breath.

"Whoa... Not that I don't like it whenever you lead... but you do know that was public... right...?"

Tsukasa blinked. She realized that the few students who were in the hall at the time had seen everything. Tsukasa stood, frozen in place for a few seconds before recovering. She smiled kindly at the people in the hall, tilting her head. "You saw nothing" She said menacingly.

With that simple action, all of them quickly dispersed, moving to their own respective classrooms.

Tsukasa's shoulders relaxed as she gave a sigh of relief.

"Beautiful save. I've taught you well" Konata cheered, clapping slowly

Kagami and Misao just stood there, dumbfounded by what they just witnessed.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Is it me or did this chapter just devolve into some incoherent mess? I absolutely hate how those last two sections went but as much as I want to redo it, I can't, for the life of me, write for those scenes anymore. It's like my brain shuts down whenever I try.  
Actually, I DID redo some parts of those section. They were at the start of each. That's it.  
Uhhhg. I just feel so frustrated at the quality. Granted, it's not much worse than the rest of this shit but it angers me to no end! And it had to be one of the more dramatic part too!**

**Whatever. Rant aside, I'll probably be able to post another chapter within the week... probably...**

**Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Reviews are appreciated.**


	23. Uneventful morning

**So after THREE WEEKS, I finally release a new chapter... well... that's great, right? Unfortunately, this chapter with talk about an uneventful morning. Sorry**

**LUCKY STAR**

We're at school on a Saturday. Yay?

Years ago, that would have been a normal occurrence, as students in those days were required to go to school for a torturous six days, before is was reduced to the slightly better but not near low enough number of five. That said, if it weren't for the occasion, our being here is quite unusual.

What IS the occasion you ask? Why, it's the school festival, of course.

"Konata, we ignore you for a few minutes and suddenly your narrating your life." Kagami deadpanned.

"As I sat lost in thought, I was suddenly pulled out of my musings by a certain girl with purple hair" Konata smiled and turned to the tsundere.

"It always has to be something weird with you, doesn't it?" She asked, massaging her temples. "Couldn't you have just stared sentimentally out the window"

"Oh, but Kagami, I WAS staring sentimentally out the window"

Kagami could only sigh in response. "I know I shouldn't be praising you but your style of narration's gotten better. Great work on that I guess."

The bluenette stood and bowed. "Thank you, I try"

It was rather early that morning and most of their classmates had not arrived yet. Having literally nothing better to do until the rest of them DID arrive, the group, consisting of Kagami, Konata, Misao, Miyuki, and Tsukasa, had decided to ease their boredom by hanging out in room 3-B.

As the tsundere and otaku continued their back and forth, Tsukasa and Misao sat back, enjoying the show. The two looked at them, noticing how completely oblivious to the rest of the world they were. The normalcy of it was calming

"It kinda makes me jealous." Misao said with a small chuckle. "Even though I've gotten so close to her, it's never been like _that_."

Tsukasa smiled fondly as she watched her sister and girlfriend talk. "It's because those two have been in love for the longest time." She said

The brunette blinked. "Wait, Chibi's got the hots for Kagami?"

The lavender haired girl giggled. "She does. I didn't really notice till we started dating though..."

Misao's jaw dropped. _Really!? Was she serious!? _The revalation amazed the brunette. _And to think, Konata was actually encouraging my relationship with Kagami – __all the times she said I'd be the one to make her happy__... Wow, she must really love Kagami if she's will__ing__ to let her go, just like that... _All that was well and good but a sudden thought popped up in her mind. _Bu__t wait, what about Tsukasa?_

As if reading her thoughts Tsukasa answered her question. "Konata loves me too so it isn't a problem." She smiled. "She told me when I asked and we talked it over."

Misao didn't know what to say to _that_. The whole thing was mind boggling for her. What took her and Kagami nearly three months to work out had taken those two a single conversation to resolve. "How is that you two have practically no problems in your relationship?"

Tsukasa put a finger on her chin and looked up. After thinking for a bit, she finally answered. "We DO have problems, but we talk about them and they get solved quickly." When she received no response, she grew worried. "Is that bad?"

"No, it's actually pretty amazing" Misao said honestly, before adding quietly "and really unfair..."

And so their morning continued – and if you're wondering what Miyuki was doing, she was spaced out again.

**LUCKY STAR**

It was Saturday and Yutaka and Minami (among others) had gone to school for festival preparations. It just so happened that Class 1-D was pretty much completely ready for event so the two ended up going to school for no reason.

"It seems that we are the only two who showed up today..." Minami stated, noting how the classroom was empty.

Yutaka sweat dropped. "Looks like it" She said in agreement.

The having no purpose for being there, two decided to leave room 1-D.

Outside in the hall, there were a few students were milling about, attending to the errands they were tasked to do – mostly going out to buy supplies.

The two walked the hall side by side, Minami striding gracefully through the corridor with Yutaka skipping cheerfully next to her.

"You want to go to the library?" The shorter girl asked.

Minami simply nodded.

**LUCKY STAR**

That day, Patricia Martin went to the Tamura residence to visit a particular perverted glasses girl.

So there she stood in front of the door and knocked. The door opened to reveal a taller, older looking version of Hiyori (sans the glasses). It was her mother, Haruka. "Oh, hello Patricia-chan. Good morning"

"Good morning Mrs. Tamura. What's Hiyori up to?"

"She's upstairs. I think she's been working on that animation since last night. Gonna go check on her? Come on in." And enter she did.

The Tamura household was a fairly small establishment, with the space within a single room being used for various purposes. Those purposes ranged from the average kitchen/dinning/living room combo to a multimedia art studio made for visual, auditory, and literary works. It was quiet, cozy, and housed a mother, father, and only child, all of whom were artists who excelled in their chosen medium.

"Oh, Hiiiyooooriiii~" Patricia chimed as she entered the room immediately noting how dark it was.

The room was messy, but not disorganized. Sheets of paper were in disarray on the floor but they were scattered in a way that separates which set of papers from which. Various manga were stacked on the desk randomly but their content and order seemed to say that there was some sort of onganization to the pile.

And, on the bed, in the midst of the chaos, was Hiyori. Crouched in front of a laptop, the light of its screen casted shadows on her face and reflected off her glasses. Her raven-black hair was frizzy, her clothes were wrinkled, and she had dark bags under her eyes. Overall, she looked like she had been up all night for several nights – not surprising since she WAS up all night for several nights.

Patricia searched the wall for the light switch and flicked it on the moment she found it.

Despite the incandescent bulb filling the once dark room with color, Hiyori was unfazed and continued staring into her computer screen. Now that there was better lighting, Patrica found that the raven haired girl was furiously scribbling on a drawing tablet.

The American sat down on the bed and scooted behind the manga artist. Seeing how she didn't respond to the movement, the blond simply smiled and leaned in close to the raven haired girl's ear. "Hiyori~" With a mischievous light in her eyes, Patricia repeated it in a sing song voice. "Hi-yo-ri~" When that didn't garner a reaction, she giggled. She inched even closer and whispered. "Hiii-yooo-riii~" and then she blew into the glasses girl's ear.

This finally earned a response from Hiyori in the form of her entire body freezing and a blush appearing on her face.

Patricia grinned. "Oh-ha-yo~" (good morning) she whispered, before planting a kiss below the girl's ear. As she pulled away, she could practically see the goosebumps on the glasses girl's rosy cheeks.

Movement by Hiyori's hand and the sound of two pressed keys caught Patricia's eyes and ears. The manga artist had just presses the [CRTL] and [S] keys. The motion was continued when the laptop was closed shut and pushed to the side. After which, the raven haired girl remain perfectly still.

The blond leaned in once more a kissed Hiyori's neck, causing her to shiver. She put her hands on the glasses girl's sides and placed another, slightly wetter kiss below her ear. When a suppressed and shaky gasp suddenly emerged from the trembling girl, Patricia abruptly stopped her assault.

"W-why... why'd you stop...?"

"If you weren't feeling up for it, you could have just said no." She said, putting her hands firmly on the artist's shoulders. "You don't have to force yourself..."

"No, keep going... I want this..."

"That's not what your body is saying. Knee-jerk reactions are normal but I don't know about that shivering." Patricia scolded. "It almost seems like you're scared..."

"I'M NOT!"

That little outburst from Hiyori was heard through out the house, prompting her mother to go check on her. There was a knock on the door. "Hiyori, are you okay?" The two heard the muffled sound of Haruka's voice.

"We're fine, Mrs. Tamura. Were just having a lovers' quarrel or whatever it's supposed to be called." The blond said, just loud enough to be heard through the door. "We'll work it out"

"Lovers...? Okay, take your time. Just keep it down. It's still pretty early in the morning and I don't think the neighbors would appreciate loud noises right now" Then she walked away. As the sound of footsteps incrementally grew fainter, they suddenly started to become loud again. "And Hiyori... You, your girlfriend, your father, and I have to have a little talk once you've settled your differences" She added. It was only then that the mother walked away entirely.

Hiyori winced "Well... that was awkward..." The glasses girl sighed and leaned back, finding her head cushioned by the blonds rather large chest.

"You're telling me..." Patricia chuckled in agreement. As the raven haired girl rested her head on the blond's boobs, the said blond couldn't help but play with the said raven hair.

As her head was stroked, Hiyori purred in pleasure. They sat in silence like that for a whole minute

"I think I get it now. I was going too fast for you, wasn't I?. I'm guessing you're just tired" The quiet atmosphere was pierced by the blond's sudden epiphany. "Come to think of it, I don't really think you're in any condition for the kind of... exercise... I wanted to do with you. I probably shouldn't have tried in the first place"

"Tired..." Hiyori smiled drowsily. "I guess you can say that..."

With a suppressed chuckle, Patrica continued stroking her hair. "This is surprisingly fun..." She commented. "But I don't think we should be keeping your parents waiting"

"... they said to take our time, right?" The raven haired girl said, with a yawn following soon after. It wasn't long until she slipped out of the world of the waking and lay limply on the blond's lap.

_Cute..._ One look at the sleeping girl's face and the American chuckled again. _And to think I have sex with this girl on a near weekly basis __but never went through the hand-holding phase__.__ We started three bases early._ The very thought amused the blond quite a bit.

Shuffling could be heard outside. "She's asleep. No need for you to spy on her" Patricia called out.

At once, the door was opened and in entered Hiyori's parents – her look-alike mother, Haruka, and an unremarkable man with bleached white hair, her father, Kyousuke.

"We're sorry. We didn't expect our daughter to be a lesbian..." Kyousuke apologized. "We got curious"

"Speaking of which, would you mind if you talk about your relationship a bit?" Haruka asked, notebook and pen in hand. At that point, the blond remembered that Hiyori's mother was a writer.

_Well... this is not what I was expecting. _Patricia smiled._But hey, I'm not saying no._

**LUCKY STAR**

The school library was quiet that morning. Yutaka and Minami sat at a table far off in a corner where no one could disturb them – not that anyone was THERE to disturb them. The library was an unpopular hang out so few actually spent their time at the place – even less so, considering it was a Saturday with optional attendance for the students.

The two sat in silence. Minami had picked up a book whose title caught her eye and started reading the moment she sat down. Yutaka was content with enjoying the moment with her girlfriend. It was a while before something happened.

Minami had suddenly put down the book and stared forward.

Yutaka felt a blend of emotion's from the stoic but didn't know what to make of it. "Minami's what wrong?"

"It's fine" Minami said automatically. She winced internally. It was the second time in recent memory that her reflex made itself apparent. Again, she was going to say that anyway, but her sense of self control was thrown out the window the moment those words flew out her mouth. "It's fine... The book, just..."

"Just what?" The red head was curious as to what could have caused the mint haired girl such distress and grabbed the book off the table and looked at the page it was open to.

It took a few seconds of reading before a blush exploded into Yutaka's face. "Uh... Um... Well this is... something..." She was practically steaming.

"That's not safe for Yutaka." Minami scolded, taking the book from her. "How can a book like THIS be in a school library?" She muttered

**LUCKY STAR**

"Alright! Rehearsals, people! Show me what you've got!" Konata ordered.

The rest of class 3-B had arrived for their practice that day. Konata immediately climbed up the makeshift stage they had made out of their desks in the front of the classroom. Standing above the rest of her classmates, Konata took charge of them, and they happily complied.

"Rin, wake Miyuki up. Use something loud to startle her or something. Saori, bring out the costumes. We'll try to do it with costumes on later." Her commanding tone carried all through the room, spurring the others into action. "And where the hell is Satomi?"

From the back of the class, Kagami, Misao, and Tsukasa watched the bluenette order her class around. Having been the only ones to have never seen this side of Konata's personality, the girls from 3-C were certainly in awe.

"This is a side of her I've never seen before..." Kagami commented. "... but somehow I'm not surprised..."

"I'm with ya. The chibi's certainly something..." Misao agreed in a mildly bitter tone.

The pony tailed girl noticed this and called her out. "What's with THAT? You jealous or something" She asked with a smirk.

"Yeah. REALLY jealous"

The tsundere blinked. "Oh..." Her cheeks reddened slightly and she looked away, absentmindedly curling the hair in her pony tail. "Right. I forgot how blunt you can be..."

Tsukasa just stood next to them and giggled. As fun as watching Kagami and Konata interact was, she couldn't deny the Misao and Kagami had good chemistry. Her show was cut short when she was called by a certain blue haired otaku.

The person in question was walking towards them. "Tsukasa, we need to find Shiraishi. Miyuki just told me he left hours ago and never came back. We can't have rehearsal without him!"

"I'm here!" There was the sound of running feet, a yell by someone male, and the sliding of the door open. From behind it stood Minoru Shiraishi, Hunched over and out of breath. At his side was a salmon haired girl who shyly hid behind him. "I'm here. I'm sorry I'm late..."

"Ah! Sebastian, you're just in time. We're about to start practice." Konata said. Then she grinned. "By the way, who's that little cutie over there?"

"This is Akira Kogami. She's in middle school and she wanted to go with me to school today"

The bluenette's all too familiar smile appeared on her face. "So what's your relation to her?" She purred. "She your cousin? Half sister? Or perhaps... your lover?"

At that last part, a frown formed on Akira's blushing face. She walked into view, grabbed hold of Konata's shirt, and pulled her down to eye level – not difficult as their heights are not far from each other.

"_How dare you even imply and such relation?_"

The otaku remained unfazed. She took hold of Akira's wrists and squeezed them slightly, causing them to release their grip on her shirt. "No need to get so worked up. I was only teasing." She smiled and patted the shorter girl's head. "You're a cute little tsundere, aren't you?"

"_Oh you are just ASKING FOR IT._" The salmon haired girl charged for the bluenette. She was stopped short of attacking Konata by a hand on her shoulder.

Minoru pulled her back and pushed her into a chair. "Sit and cool off." He ordered. With a deep sigh, he turned to the other petite girl. "You know, you should ease up on the teasing when it comes to tsundere. You can do it to Hiiragi-san because she's in love with you. I don't think it would work any other way." He whispered

"Hmm... I suppose you're right... Thanks, Sebastian"

Behind them, Kagami was hind her face in her hands. "Even _Sebastian_ knew!?" To which Tsukasa and Misao giggled.

**LUCKY STAR**

It was around half an hour since Patricia began telling Haruka about Hiyori and her relationship. It would have been longer if she hadn't cut out the steamier details but she wasn't exactly willing to divulge such information to people she wasn't comfortable with, much less to her girlfriend's parents.

Haruka however, was not very impressed. "The way you describe your relationship sounds so... bland." She commented. "I KNOW there's more to it than than. C'mon, give me the juicy bits!"

Patricia sighed. "I'm sorry, but no"

The mother was still not dissuaded, though. "Can I at least watch the next time you two do it?" She asked

The blond blushed. "HELL NO!" She yelled in denial, waking the sleeping girl on her lap.

"W-what happened!?" She asked in confusion

**LUCKY STAR**

**There is a number of reasons why this took as long as it did. For one, I got writer's block the whole week after my last chapter. For two, some of my subjects had finals for the week after. For three, I got dangerously sick for about five days and I am sorta still sick as I type this.**

**My well of inspiration of this story is starting to run dry, though. I might need to take a break for a while before I'll be able to regularly update again. I'll be sure to finish the festival arc before I do, though. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	24. End of morning Start of something

**Hey there guys. Here's a release after a month. I'm so very sorry it took so long.**

**On the plus side, I also have a remake of chapter one to be released shortly after this one. I hope that makes up for it.  
Edit: The remake of chapter one had been released.  
**

**Enjoy what you can, and I apologize for what you can't. Here's the end of the morning and the start of something.**

**LUCKY STAR**

"I can't believe you told her!"

After a rather awkward conversation with her parents, Hiyori and Patricia were once again left alone in Hiyori's room. Despite the adults leaving, the awkward atmosphere remained. It was clearly felt by the two standing between the door and bed.

"From our talk earlier, I can tell she pretty much knew from the start so why are you so upset?" Patricia asked. "It's not like it's a big deal if they already knew."

"No, that's not the point! You told her without me!" The raven haired girl yelled. Quickly following her outburst, she suddenly lost balance and collapsed sidewards.

_Uh oh..._

Quick on the reflexes, Patricia caught her before she hit her head on the table next to her. "Maybe we should move this conversation to the bed?" She suggested as she gingerly helped the manga artist back to her feet. It wasn't the first time the blond made that suggestion and, unfortunately, Hiyori didn't seem to notice change in context.

"Oh no, you're not going to get out of this that easily" She scolded. "I wanted to tell them together. Why did you... you... why did you disregard... my..." The raven haired girl once again went limp and fell forward into Patricia's arms.

_Great... _The American sighed. "You need to lie down." She put one arm around Hiyori's waist and another slinked behind her legs to pick her up princess style.

"I told you to... to... stop..."

_And I told YOU to lie down. _Patricia gently lowered her onto the bed. "Don't try to get up, because if you do, I'm pinning you to the bed."

Hiyori almost immediately tried to get back up. "I... can't believe you..." She said weakly. "There's a problem I want to talk to you about and you try to have your way with me. What's wrong with you!?" This earned a tired groan from the blond.

_Oh, for the love of-_

Staying true to her word, the Patricia got on top of Hiyori and put her hands on her shoulders, pinning her down. "Okay, you wanna talk, let's talk." She said, staying perfectly still as the raven haired girl struggled under her weight.

Eventually she got tired and stopped. "... well... what are you waiting for...?" The artist asked, apparently resigned to what she believes was her fate. "... take me..."

_You have got to be kidding me. __How can you have __misread the situation __this much__... _Once again, Patricia sighed. _Then again, __she's really sleepy and it's not exactly hard to get the wrong idea from my actions__..._ "I think that talk's gonna have to wait until you get some more sleep."

Hiyori made another effort to get her blond lover off of her but to no avail. As she grew more and more tired, the movement became less and less apparent, until the point where it seemed she was perfectly still. She was finally asleep again.

_Finally._

With a slight chuckle, the blond removed her hands off of the raven haired girl's shoulders and rolled off her. As she lied on the bed next to her girlfriend, Patricia wondered what she would say to her once she woke up and had that talk.

**LUCKY STAR**

Class 3-B's rehearsals were well underway. The props were set up, the costumes were worn, and on the makeshift stage was the inside of a castle. The various extras were going about their business until Minoru and Tsukasa suddenly burst out of a door at the side of the stage, prompting the several extras to suddenly stop what they were doing and kneel in front of the queen only to be ignored as the two passed by them, paying no heed.

"Why are we doing this again? It doesn't even seem like she can see us."

"Just shut up and kneel."

Tsukasa strode through the hall regally, red cloak dragging on the floor. The crown resting on her head sparkled as it passed under the light. "So here's the key to the armory. Take any old weapon and get going." She ordered, casually tossing a large key to Minoru who was following behind. "Get some other knights to join you while you're at it"

Minoru fumbled in catching the key, taking several seconds before he got a good grip on it. He was clad in a blue shirt and brown pants, with a helmet, chest plate, arm guard, and grieves worn over said clothes.

"Please tell me you're kidding. You're kidding, right?" The prospect of selecting his own equipment and forming his own party obviously didn't sit well with him.

Tsukasa, completely ignoring her knight, continued giving orders. "Anyway, if you find any trouble, talk to the peasants, okay? Now go rescue the princess!" She said, pushing her vassal out the door on the other side of the stage.

Minoru blinked as the castle door closed behind him. "Wait, right now?"

At the back of the classroom, Kagami, Misao, and Akira were watching the show.

"It's hard to believe that it's Imouto talking on that stage." Misao commented. "It's like she's an entirely different person"

"Yeah, I know right?" Kagami agreed. "I mean, remember that scene in the hallway? Jeez, I never thought I'd ever think of my sister was scary before today. Konata's training must have really paid off."

The two glanced at the salmon haired girl right next to them. Akira was watching intently with a scowl on her face. It seemed like she had her eyes trained on Minoru. As the shorter girl glared at the male lead, the two couldn't help but wonder what was making her so upset.

"That Kogami girl. You think she's got the hots for Shiraishi?" Misao asked

"Who?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "You know, Minoru Shiraishi, the male lead? The guy up on stage right now, literally right in front of you?"

_Was that... sarcasm? _Kagami wondered. _Sarcasm... I never thought I'd see the day._ "Oh... His name's Shiraishi? I've always called him Sebastian."

"Eh...? Sebastian?" The fanged girl shook her head to dispel her confusion. "Nevermind. That Akira girl. You think she has the hots for him?"

"Hmmm" The lavender haired girl thought back to the way they acted earlier that day. Akira seemed like a pretty nice girl most of the time but sometimes had little scenes where she acts really nasty, normally towards Minoru. She recalled Akira being really mean – bordering abusive – to the boy, and he would just stand there and take it. But for whatever reason, when her outbursts started affecting others, Minoru suddenly stops being all submissive and takes control, and Akira just lets him.

_Their relationship is just so weird. Is that really love...? __I guess it is but IS __technically__ love but is it a romantic form of love?__ Is that acceptance of __each other's__ dominance their form of showing affection __and trust__?_ The pony-tailed tsundere looked at the girl in question. Sure enough, the girl was still staring at Minoru – a bit intensely, but staring all the same. _It doesn't really look like she's in love... IS SHE, __though__? I mean, I'm no expert or anything but I just can't __see it__..._

She glanced at Konata. She was also watching the scene intently, albeit not as focused on a single character. Kagami couldn't help but notices how the bluenette's eyes would light up as her scanning gaze passed over Tsukasa.

Looking back at Akira, the same fire could be seen in her eyes. _It can't be that simple. Can love really be determined by the way someone looks at a person? Is THAT why Sebas- er... why Shiraishi-san knew I had feelings for Konata?_

Kagami frowned. _He knows I'm dating Misao but he still assumes I like Konata... _Her brows furrowed even more._ There HAS to be a trick to this. Akira, are you in love with Minoru? Show me a sign._

Her train of thought was suddenly derailed when Misao poked her side, causing her to jump. "Wah! Misao, I swear to god!" She said, ready to smack her girlfriend on the head.

The brunette in question stepped back with his hands raised in surrender. "Hey, you had that 'over thinking things' face again. I was only worried."

The tsundere's expression softened. She lowered her fist and apologized. "Right... sorry..."

After a few awkward seconds of silence, Misao asked again "... So, do you think she's got the hots for him or not?"

Kagami sighed in relief. She was grateful her girlfriend was good at easing the tension in those kinds of situations. "I can see that they love each other, but I'm not sure if it's _that_ kind of love..."

"You too? It's hard to get a read on them, you know?" The brunette stated. "Their relationship is just so _weird_."

"Don't say things like that aloud. It's rude."

**LUCKY STAR**

Nanako Kuroi awoke that morning feeling sick. Not ATUALLY sick, mind you. Something was just eating at her.

She had been living alone for quite a while, and in that time, she had gotten very used to her apartment to the point of noticing even the smallest of changes. From the moment she gained consciousness, her senses were assaulted by the foreign stimuli found in her room.

She got up and saw how all her dirty clothes were no longer a scattered mess on the floor but neatly folded in her closet. Her dishes had also been cleaned, and her fridge restocked with a week's worth of groceries. Further inspection of her room showed that the vast collection of video games in her shelves have been organized by platform, by genre, and by alphabetical order.

The blond smiled and gazed at the shelves._ I never asked for THIS, but I'm glad he did this. Never knew how much better this would have looked if I just organized them. I almost feel like he did too much for what I gave..._ She smiled. _Though I guess I shouldn't feel TOO bad. I mean, I DID pay him._

She looked at the clock. _Ten a.m., __huh? I still have plenty of time. _With a grin, she sat down in front of her computer and booted it up.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, Kagami, I'm gonna check the classroom again." In the past hour, Misao had checked classroom 3-C twelve times, and each time she found it to be empty.

Kagami sighed. _It's ten __a.m.__ already. If they didn't arrive an hour ago, what make's you think they'll show up now?_ She thought. However, she didn't let her pessimism show and simply said "I might as well join you"

She grabbed the shoulder of a passing propsman and asked him to tell Konata, Miyuki, and Tsukasa that they were going to check on their classroom and that if they didn't come back, that meant their class had arrived. _Not that I have my hopes up, but better safe than sorry... oh what am I thinking? It's not like its the end of the world if I don't tell them where I am... right...?_

As the two left 3-B for the room next door, they bumped into their homeroom teacher, Hikaru Sakuraba. She looked at the two and waved lazily before entering the classroom. The two followed suite.

_Lo and behold, an empty classroom._ Kagami pinched the bridge of her nose. _At this point, I didn't really expect anyone to come but it still frustrates me to no end that they didn't show up._

"So, you two..." Sakuraba said as she inspected the half finished decorations. "What's your plan for these?" She asked lazily.

"Well, we... we were supposed to set it up today and tomorrow but..." The tsundere was embarrassed – for both the class and herself. Sakuraba wasn't very active over her class. She gave them a lot of freedom and only intervened when things got out of hand or when nothing was getting done. She knew the class was smart and treated them as such. That said, Kagami couldn't help but feel shameful for how her classmates were so lazy. "... no one showed up..."

"Have you tried contacting them?" The teacher suggested.

"I sent them some messages but they don't reply..."

"So, that's it...?" Sakuraba sighed and pushed up her glasses. "Well, it's not like this is _my _problem. I'm confident you'll find a solution on your own." With another lazy wave, she walked out of the classroom. "I'll be at the nurse's office if you need me"

And so, the two were left in the empty classroom. A sickening silence filled the air. It was so thick you could drown in it – which was what Kagami felt was happening.

_This was MY problem. I was the one who had to find a solution... But I didn't... What did I do...? I ignored it! I let it go on for hours without thinking about it...! I blamed my classmates for this problem – and I still believe it's their fault – but I have to be the one to fix it. I'm responsible for this...! And look at me now! Instead of doing my job, I'm wallowing in self pity...! Get a grip Kagami! Stop this! STOP THIS NOW...! I... I can't... I can't do this... I... I..._

She was pulled out of her downward spiral by a slap to the face. "I'm sorry. I tried other ways to snap you out of it but none of them worked. That was the only other thing I could think of." Misao said, worry clearly etched into her face. "I'm here. I can help you. We can even ask the others – THEY can help too... You don't have to face this alone"

"What can YOU do to help!?" Kagami screamed as tears flowed down her face. "You're about the second least responsible person I know! What makes you think you CAN help!?" She shouted as she repeatedly punched Misao's chest. The brunette just stood there as Kagami flailed around. Her blows were weak but the tsundere continued her onslaught. Eventually her attack stopped and she leaned her head on Misao's shoulder. "Please give me a reason... I NEED A REASON..." she whispered.

Misao grit her teeth and pulled Kagami into a hug. "I say I can help because it's for you" She said plainly, as if it were the most obvious thing it the world. She tightened her hold as the lavender haired girl hugged back. "Even if I had no idea how to do it, I'd do it for you..." The brunette stated, knowing full well what her girlfriend would say in reply.

"Y-you're gonna look like an idiot... if you do that..." Kagami commented, voice still somewhat shaky. "If you p-plan on helping, you b-better do it right..."

With a quiet chuckle, Misao replied. "Heh, I know."

The two stayed intertwined for a while, enjoying the other's presence.

"What are we going to do, though?" The tsundere asked, finally recovering. "It's already ten. We only have five hours left for preparations today. Even IF I get them show up, is that enough time?"

"We always have tomorrow" The brunette reminded her. "Besides, it's not like it's that big a deal if our class doesn't make a booth that's all great. What matters is that we have fun."

"But this is our last festival in this school. I want it to be special..."

"You'll be with me" Misao said. "Isn't that special enough?"

"I suppose..." Kagami chuckled. "When the hell did you get so smooth?"

The two broke off from the hug and smiled at each other.

"Man, today's just been filled with drama." Misao laughed. "First there's the incident with your ribbon"

"Don't remind me"

"Then there's that Kogami chick who nearly clobbered Chibi. Then all that acting on the stage. Now this. Just... wow"

"C'mon. Let's eat. We'll figure this out after lunch"

**LUCKY STAR**

"Great rehearsal everyone! Early lunch break for everyone! Be back here by twelve-thirty!"

Practice finished without any problems aside from the very liberal use of improv – it was obvious that most of the assigned actors didn't even _try_ to memorize their lines. Not that Konata was complaining – she was actually really impressed they managed most of the play using their own lines while still keeping it coherent. That said, she gave them something of a reward in the form of their hour long break.

As a half the class left the room for the cafeteria, the other half brought out their boxed lunches. One particular girl sat in the back corner of the room, laying down two lunch boxes. That girl was Tsukasa.

The lavender haired girl smiled, pleased with herself. She had consistently woken up early for over two weeks to prepare lunch for Konata, her sister, and herself – she considered that quite a big achievement – and considering her old sleeping habits, she was right in feeling that way.

_She's going to love this. _With a giggle, Tsukasa called out to her girlfriend. "Konata, come and get your lunch."

At the front of the class, sitting on the stage and chatting with some of her other classmates was Konata. When she heard her her name called, she turned to face the voice. Upon seeing that it was Tsukasa, a smile appeared on the bluenette's face. She bid goodbye to her classmates and skipped over to the lavender haired girl.

_She's like a kid._ Tsukasa thought as the girl skipped towards her. _So cute._

"Oh, my ever beautiful and talented chef, what is on the menu today?" The otaku said as she plopped onto the floor next to Tsukasa. "Either way, I _know_ it's gonna be delicious. _Everything_ you make tastes amazing."

Tsukasa blushed. _Kona-chan does this every time she eats my food but I can never get used to it. She just makes me so excited every time. _"Well I don't know about that..." She passed the lunch box to Konata. "I'm not telling you what it is, though. It's a surprise."

Konata pouted as she accepted the lunch box. As she moved to open it, she could see that Tsukasa was leaning towards her with anticipation. Konata grinned and slowly lowered the box to the ground. Seeing Tsukasa's eager face morph into a frown as the box got closer to the ground caused the otaku's grin to widen – even more so when she began opening it again and Tsukasa's pout became a smile once more. This action of raising and lowering repeated for a number of times.

She was starting to get annoyed. "Konata..." Tsukasa said in warning.

"Okay, seriously, what's in this thing?" The bluenette asked, finally relenting.

"Just open it already~."

"Oh if you insist" With the, the otaku opened the box. Its contents left her jaw-dropped. Inside the plastic container was "Rice..." Just rice. "Uh... I'm certainly surprised..."

_Rice... _It was taking everything Tsukasa had not to show how close she was to bursting out in laughter. "Well... go on... eat..." _C'mon._ _Eat your... rice..._

With more than a little reluctance, Konata sunk her chopsticks into the rice and then suddenly stopped. She saw that under the layer of rice was an omelet. A smile grew on the bluenette's face. "Well, surprising indeed!" With a laugh, she dug into her meal.

Tsukasa's heart skipped a beat when she heard that laugh. It took unreasonable amounts of effort to keep herself from pulling Konata into a hug and squeezing her silly. She never expected to feel that strongly for her girl's reaction.

Three months ago, a reaction like that would have simply made the lavender haired girl smile and maybe laugh as well. But back then, she saw Konata simply as a friend she cared deeply for. Now, she saw her as something else – something different but just as nice. Now, she saw her as her lover.

_Oh, this just makes me so bubbly inside! Uuuuuwuuuuuwuwu!_

Tsukasa's day dream was brought to an end when she felt a hand on her side. Not only did she make an embarrassing noise upon contact, it also seemed that while in a day dream, she had curled up into a fetal position as she suddenly found herself on her side, hugging her legs. She got up and looked at Konata.

"Tsukasa made a cute sound." She teased. The bluenette was kneeling, apparently in preparation to stand up. "Hate to ruin your little adventure in wonderland, but teach finally arrived. Apparently she wants to talk to me and Miyuki. See you in a bit." With that, she got to her feet and skipped to the front of the class where Nanako Kuroi was waiting.

The lavender haired girl sighed and finally got started eating.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Glad to see you're finally awake." Patricia chimed.

Hiyori rubbed her head as she sat up. Her mind was numb and still painfully drowsy. She'd give an arm and a leg to go back to bed had she not remembered the talk Patricia had promised her. She gave her head a violent shake to snap herself awake, unfortunately resulting in no increase in awareness and an undesirable intensification of her headache.

A groan escaped from her lips. "Oh my aching head."

"Want some coffee or something?" Patricia asked

Hiyori raised her hand in dismissal. "No, I'm good..." She massaged her temples, quite obviously not okay yet. "Now... what were we talking about?"

The blond sighed. "I told your mom about us and you overreacted." She said dryly.

_Mom... us... overreacted? No, I didn't __do that__... _As the pieces started coming back together, a look of rage appeared on the artist's face. "Overreacted?! Oh, I did NOT overreact!"

"You exploded into my face the moment they were out the door."

"Because you told them without me!" Hiyori yelled. _Why am I so angry?_

"They already knew." Patricia reminded her. "They figured it out on their own."

"That's not the point! I wanted to tell them TOGETHER!" _Is that really so important to me? So important that I'm screaming at the girl I love?_

The blond sighed again. She looked like she wanted to just raise her hands in defeat and just walk out the room. It was breaking the artist's heart just looking at her.

"Am I just not important to you...? Do my opinions not matter...?" Hiyori said finally. "Will you just disregard everything I say because you know I'm submissive...?"

There it was. That was her problem. It took three hours but Hiyori finally realized why she had been so angry. _I was mad because I had no agency... I was __just__ a tool... a toy... I could just be thrown away whenever she feels like I've outlived my purpose. I didn't matter._

The raven haired girl could feel the tears run down her face. "Is that all I am to you? A doll to have your erotic fantasies with?" She choked back a sob. "You had my consent, but now, I doubt it even matters. You'd probably force yourself on me regardless of what I say... because my opinions aren't worth anything to you..."

"Hiyori..." She could feel Patricia's hand on her shoulder. "... I'm sorry. Your opinions DO matter. I should have made that clearer in my actions..."

Hiyori couldn't believe what she was hearing. An apology was the last thing she expected to get and yet that was exactly what she received. _Well I'll be damned..._

"But still, you should have said that was your problem from the start" Patricia added. "If I was being a bitch, fucking tell me. I'm not a mind reader" She scolded.

Hiyori laughed and rubbed the tears out of her eyes. "Heh. Sorry..."

Patricia gave her a peck on the lips and a quick hug. "Better?"

Hiyori nodded drowsily. "Y-yeah..." _I guess I still need more sleep. __Still, __I'm glad we were able to resolve this before I collapsed again._

With a smile, she gladly fell back into the embrace of sleep.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Yo, teach" Konata skipped to the front of the class.

The blond teacher, Nanako Kuroi looked at the blunette and smiled. "Oh, Izumi. Do I have a story to tell you"

With a smirk, the otaku raised an eye brow. "Hmm? I take it you gave in and did it? The rent-a-middle-aged man thing?"

"Yeah, you'll never guess who it is..."

**LUCKY STAR**

**Three guesses on who the middle aged man is. The first two don't count since it should be obvious at this point.**

**Why am I not surprised that I suddenly put more Kagami drama in this chapter? I was aiming for the OTHERS to get development! Why, brain? Why must this always happen when I set you to auto pilot?**

**There's also this other problem that I want to get a move on with the plot. This is why I hate doing days where they don't have school. I have to use so many chapters for what is a single day (The entire sleep over arc took five chapters even though it only spanned a single 24 hour cycle)  
**

**I'm still struggling to continue writing for this so it may still be some time before my next chapter, and quite a lot longer before I'm back to my old weekly release schedule.**

**Also, there seems to be an unfortunately large plot hole in the first four chapters of this story that I plan on fixing. An internet cookie to those who manage to figure out what it is.**

**As always, review and tell me what you liked... or hated. That works too... (and please tell me my mistakes.)**


	25. The day finally ends

**Alright. Sorry for the month long interval between the last update and this one. If anything in this chapter feels rushed, I'm sorry. It's because I wanted to get the festival prep arc over and done with. Over 30k words worth of content for a single arc is 10k words too many in my opinion - there has been WAY too much faffing about in terms of actual plot progression.**

**Anyway, we finally have the end of the day!**

**LUCKY STAR**

"C'mon, pick up... pick up... answer the phone, damn it..."

That afternoon, Kagami was very distressed. Not distressed in a sense that she was running around in panic. Moreover, she felt like she was slowly sinking in a numbingly cold lake, and when she tried to swim up, she saw that it had frozen over. She couldn't breath and couldn't move.

As class rep of 3-C, she was responsible for her section's plans for the school festival. She was also, in essence, the one to blame if and when those plans don't reach fruition – and by the looks of it, chances of success were hopelessly low.

Kagami flipped her phone closed and rubbed her face in despair.

"That's half the class..." She said in a forced monotone. It took all her will power to not break down on the spot. "Half the class said outright that they give up..."

Alas, even with all of Kagami's efforts, they just really didn't want to do anything. After lots of angry shouting from Kagami; after a passive-aggressive scolding by Ms. Sakuraba; hell, even after putting enough effort to get their plans halfway done, they just decided that they actually didn't care.

"We never wanted to do anything in the first place." One classmate said. "Technically, the school doesn't really require us to have something ready." Another argued. "Besides, this is an extra-curricular thing. They have no right to punish us if we don't comply."

The tsundere was stubborn and didn't back down. She did her best to convince her classmates to think otherwise. It was unfortunate that most of them were just as stubborn, if not, more so than she was. She only managed to persuade a handful to even just consider continuing their work. Provided they actually decide to actually start doing things again, their meager number still wasn't enough to get the ball rolling again.

_What is wrong with those kids!? It's tradition! It's fun! It's a freakin' festival! Why don't they want anything to do with it!?_ Kagami screamed inside her head. _Why don't they care...?_

There was little she could but scream. And she did. She cried the loudest she ever had in years. That was all she could remember doing.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Alright! Remember, our practice tomorrow's gonna be at the auditorium!" From the top of the makeshift stage at the front of the classroom, Konata announced to her classmates. "All of you show up! Get here before lunch if you can!" She ordered. "Great rehearsal, everyone! Dismissed!"

Practice that afternoon had picked up after lunch. They did the entire play from the top with cuts in between where Konata would rush in and make suggestions. Then, they did every scene from start to finish in one go. They did it three times and each time was different from the last.

The play was a little over half an hour in run-time - and at least half of that time involved the two main characters' back and forth banter. That said, the actors who played said characters were exhausted. Of the two, Tsukasa was the more fatigued.

She sat down on one of the seats at the back of the classroom and took a rest. _Acting feels so natural but why do I always feel so tired afterwards?_ Tsukasa asked herself. _It's so easy but so exhausting..._

She surveyed the room about her. The students were all packing their bags in preparation to leave - many have indeed already left. Miyuki still seemed to be busy speaking with some of the costume designers and props men in one corner of the room. Konata was skipping towards her. It seemed like she was skipping more out of habit than from any actual joy. Her face was neither happy nor smiling.

Tsukasa frowned_. I wonder what Kona-chan is thinking about..._ She soon found out as the bluenette was now in front of her.

"Hey, Tsukasa. Do you know where Kagami is?" She asked

She wanted to know the sister's whereabouts. _Well, that makes sense._ Tsukasa thought._ Come to think of it, where IS she?_ "Let me check"

She began shifting through the stuff her bag. After a moment, she found her phone which had a number of unread messages. Seeing its contents distressed the lavender haired girl immensely.

[From: Misao K.  
Subject: N/A

Kagami having breakdown. Nothing I say working. Help]

[From: Misao K.  
Subject: N/A  
She passed out. Taking her to nurse]

[From: Misao K.  
Subject: N/A  
Has been hours. Shes not waking up. What do I do?]

[From: Misao K.  
Subject: N/A  
Sorry if Im bothering you. Im just so worried.]

Tsukasa must have been wearing her emotions on her sleeve as, when she looked up from reading, she saw Konata worriedly staring at her. She could sense the anxious curiosity in the shorter girls face. She handed the phone to Konata for her to read.

As she went through the messages, a frown appeared on her face. "C'mon. Let's go to the nurse's office" She finally said

Tsukasa did hear the words from the bluenette's mouth - quite clearly in fact - but they didn't register. She was still trying to swallow what she just read.

_Sis had another anxiety attack... But why? Why did she have another one today?_ She wondered. _It couldn't be Misao. If it was just something she did or said then it would have been easily resolved._ She thought for a bit. _Maybe its her classmates? Wait... That's gotta be it! That's why she had an attack. She was stressing over the festival and her class pushed her over the edge._ She concluded._ Why would they do that!? Do they hate my sister? She's one of the most awesome people in the world! Why would they hate her? She deserves better than them! She...she... just.._.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sharp sound of snapping fingers.

"I swear, the whole overthinking thing has to run in the family or something." Konata muttered. "Stop thinking and start doing. Improvise!" She grabbed Tsukasa's hand and began dragging her out the room. "Now c'mon! Let's check on Kagami."

"W-wait." Tsukasa desperately attempted to fix her bag with one hand as she was pulled through the door. "Let me fix my things, please."

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami and Yutaka had spent majority of their afternoon wandering the school. The campus had a mysterious air about it when the students were busy with classes - or in this case, festival preparations. The muffled noise from inside the classrooms added to the ambiance. At one point, Yutaka had even joked that the school was magic.

However, while for the first half of the afternoon they were enjoying the quiet atmosphere that the empty halls were providing, in the later half, they were enjoying no longer. Instead, they sat in the oppressive silence of the nurse's office, watching one certain brunette pacing the floor and another pony-tailed girl who was asleep on the bed.

"I hope Kagami's okay" Yutaka muttered. Minami nodded in agreement.

It was by mere coincidence that the two dropped by the infirmary at the exact moment that Kagami and Misao came charging in. In that moment in seeing Kagami, unconsious in the arms of her girlfriend, Minami's motherly instincts kicked in.

She instructed Misao to lay the passed out girl on the bed and then proceeded to call the nurse. After which, she began asking what happened to Kagami. It was standard operating procedure for a health officer and had long become second nature to the stoic.

Misao had told them what happened but Minami didn't really think about it at the time - while assisting the nurse, she keep a very no-nonsense attitude. Now that her duty was finished, however, she DID start thinking about it now. She found that the feelings it brought were no pleasant.

_Does her class have so little unity and self respect to outright refuse to work? They have the right to that but they also have the responsibility to finish what they started. As she thought this, a frown appeared on her normally stoic face. Senpai was only doing her job. They had no right to make her cry._

Minami felt a hand squeeze her own. Beside her, Yutaka looked at her and shook her head.

The mint haired girl closed her eyes and sighed. _She's right. Getting angry right now won't do any good for anyone._ When she opened her eyes again, she was met with a sad smile by the red-head. Minami blinked and gave her a slow and thoughtful nod. _I know._ Y_ou're worried too. I'm sorry._

Misao was still walking back and forth across the room despite the nurse's advise to relax. "What can I do to help? I want to help but nothing's working. What haven't I tried yet...?" She kept muttering.

Minami watched the brunette pace. It was obvious she was unnerved and her clearly visible distress was making Yutaka and Minami distressed as well. Moving her gaze back to the red head next to her, she gave her a questioning look, to which Yutaka closed her eyes and nodded.

The stoic stood and walked over to the nervous wreck pacing in circles and seized her by the shoulders. The brunette grew wide eyed in surprise. She stared at Misao and she stared back. Neither moved nor blinked. A single word was uttered. "Relax".

The two's staring continued. Even when tears began flowing down Misao's cheeks, they remained locked in each other's gaze. "But..."

"Relax." Said Yutaka who hugged Misao from behind. "She'll be fine. She'll get through this and you'll be there with her."

"I know..." Misao choked back a sob. "But I can't just sit and do nothing..."

Minami let go of her shoulders. "You AREN'T doing nothing." She said with finality. She then walked back to the chair she was occupying earlier.

Yutaka made one final squeeze and released Misao from the embrace. "wait and be strong for her..." She whispered before returning to the mint haired girl's side.

The brunette rubbed the tears for her eyes and chuckled. "Thanks... I needed that..." She said shakily. "Still, just sitting down isn't my style." A smile slowly began forming on her face. "I'm gonna go for a run. If she wakes up before I get back, call me ASAP."

With that, Misao Kusakabe opened the door to the nurse's office and left.

Yutaka beamed at Minami. "I'm glad she feels better now." The stoic offered a small smile and nodded.

**LUCKY STAR**

The walk to the nurse's office was silent and tense. Foot steps echoed the halls as they continued, the sound of Konata's sneakers contrasting Tsukasa's boots. Not a word was said between them. Words weren't needed. They both knew how the other felt because they both felt the same way.

Konata and Tsukasa rounded a corner and suddenly bumped into a high velocity brunette

"Ow... Jeez Misakichi. You're not supposed to run in the halls" Konata was sprawled on the floor, having received the brunt of the impact.

Misao was down as well. "Right. Sorry." She attempted to sit up, actively avoiding eye contact. "Didn't mean to run into you. I sorta have a lot on my mind..." There was little of the usual energy found in her voice

Konata noticed this and frowned. "Don't worry about it." With a sigh, she rolled over onto her stomach and pushed herself back to her feet. "It didn't hurt THAT badly. Can't say the same about Tsukasa, though..." The bluenette turned to her girlfriend who was struggling to stand back up. She held out her hand. "Hey, you okay?"

"I-I'm fine" Tsukasa said. She took the offered hand and stood up. "Let's keep going, Konata..."

She most certainly was NOT fine. It was clear she must have twisted her wrist when she fell as she was doing her best not to move her right arm. Even still, Konata didn't call her out on it and simply nodded.

The otaku looked at Misao. "I hope you don't run for too long. You should be there when Kagami wakes up..." She gave a small salute. "See you later..."

The brunette kept her back turned and remained quiet. After a second, she resumed her running, not even bothering with a response.

Konata watched in stony silence._ I can't blame her for not wanting to talk. She's been pretty good at calming Kagami down but she's only human. There's only so much that her words can do - and sometimes, words aren't enough..._ She shook her head to expel unwanted thoughts. _No, it's not the time and place for that._ "C'mon, Tsukasa..."

The bluenette picked up Tsukasa's bag and began walking. The said lavender haired girl follow suit, clutching her right arm.

"We're gonna need to have that checked, you know..." Konata commented as she slung the bag over her shoulder

"I know... But my problem isn't as important as sis's"

Konata frowned. _No, you're problem is completely different so it can't be more or less important than Kagami's._ She thought. "We're still going to the nurse to check on Kagami." She reassured. "It's just that we're gonna have that sprain checked as well"

Tsukasa nodded and the two of them continued walking.

**LUCKY STAR**

Minoru walked the halls while Akira followed quietly next to him.

"Ms. Akira... I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't expect Izumi-san to be so teasing to someone she doesn't even know" The boy said.

"Don't mention it. I was really about to smack her. Thanks for stopping me..."

She suddenly punched him.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?"

Akira glared at him and them looked away. "_Nothing..._"

Minoru blinked and then sighed. He was used to it at that point. After all, three years should have been plenty of time for him to get used to her behavior.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked out the window. This prompted Akira to do the same. Outside, on the track was a certain brunette running full sprint around it. "Misao..." He muttered.

"Who?"

"She's one on those girls you almost punched this morning." He said. "The tanned girl who assumed you were a primary school girl."

The red-head's expression immediately soured. "_Well, what the hell is she doing? Why's she running around like that? Is she trying to kill herself from exhaustion?_" She smiled to herself. "Actually, if she IS planning on that, it just means there'll be less people to hate..."

"You really have to stop thinking like that." Minoru sighed. "I'm guessing she's having some trouble with something. She normally goes on runs like this when she's stressed or stumped by something" _I wonder what it is..._

"Oh... _Okay?_" Akira didn't really seem interested and the boy couldn't really blame her. She had met Misao only this morning and it wasn't the best first meeting. He could easily understand why she's indifferent to to the brunette.

Minoru, however, was friends with said brunette. While they weren't all that close, he knew what it took to comfort her when she was down. _And from the looks of things, she's pretty down right now..._ He noted.

He glanced at Akira who was still staring apathetically out the window. He looked back to Misao who had run her third lap since they began watching her._ Akira's gonna hate me for this.._. He thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm gonna go talk to her for a bit." He said

"..." Akira didn't respond immediately. She looked at him straight in the eye with an intense stare. Minoru feared what she could possibly be thinking. "_Go..._" She said finally before looking away.

The boy grimaced. _She is NOT happy._ "I'll meet you are the entrance. I promise" With that, he began his jog to the track field. _I'm sorry._

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki stood by the school entrance waiting for Minami, Yutaka, and the rest of her friends.

Outside it was partially cloudy making for a beautiful sunset sky - further made beautiful by the fallen leaves surrounding the school grounds. It had gotten quite chilly since that morning - it wasn't completely unusual but it had caught Miyuki off guard, leaving her rubbing her arms for warmth where she stood. Still, the cold was not unpleasant. It was certainly more preferable to the heat they had that summer.

She was joined in her waiting by a certain Akira Kogami.

If the cold had taken her off guard, her sudden new companion left her completely surprised. "Kogami-san? I thought you'd be with Shiraishi-san"

"_He's got stuff to do. Something about a 'Misao' girl getting all antsy..._" She said, not even bothering to hide her dislike of the situation.

_Misao Kusakabe... antsy? Is something bothering her?_ Miyuki thought for a bit. _Of the short time I've known her, it's obvious that she's a very laid back person. The only times I've seen her exhibit any amounts of stress is when it involves track and field or Misao-san. I'll assume she's worrying over Kagami-san._ Her brow furrowed. _If it involves her, normally Misao-san would be able to fix the situation quickly, or at least calm her down until the situation fixes itself. It would be safe to assume she ended up with a problem neither solves itself nor could be solved by her._ _That said, Misao-san would probably ask for help. Perhaps Tsukasa? If that was the case, she and Konata would come to her air in a heart beat._ She deduced. _Now, the only problem is where they are... Wait, of course, the nurse's office. Kagami-san's anxiety attacks sometimes lead to her fainting. Minami and Yutaka are probably in the nurse's office too._ She concluded. _So THAT'S why they're taking so long._

"_Hey, Takara, what's with that blank stare?_"

Miyuki blinked. She had been lost in thought and had forgotten Akira was standing right next to her. She smiled nervously and apologized. "I'm sorry Kogami-san. I have some things on my mind..."

The shorter girl sighed. "It's fine..."

_She seemed a lot sadder than she normally is_. The pinkette's gaze lingered on her for a whole second before it shifted to the school behind her. _What is going on back there?_

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata and Tsukasa sat on the bed next to Kagami's. Minami and Yutaka sat on two chair on the opposite side of Kagami's bed. The four of them stared at the girl, lying unconscious under the covers.

Yutaka was acutely aware of the two older girls' anxiety, though it didn't take someone like her to notice it. They weren't obvious about it but neither were they trying to hide their feelings. It wouldn't be hard to guess that they were worried.

"I can't believe the would do that..." Konata said angrily. She wasn't shouting - it was actually just a little louder than a whisper - but thepure emotion in her voice made it feel like she was screaming. "What sort of insensitive pricks would do this...? They were raised to be good Japanese citizens or whatever. Last time I heard, this isn't what someone like that would do."

"Onee-chan..." The red-head could feel her cousin's rage. It was unlike anything she felt before. It was sharp, cold, and aggressive - like a blizzard - and anything caught in it would receive an agonizingly slow and numbing death. Yutaka shivered. Never in her life would she think she'd ever have to imagine something so horrifying like that and yet the feelings she sensed in her blue haired cousin invoked those thoughts with ease.

Tsukasa sniffed. She had been crying for the entire time they were there but not a single sob escaped her lips.

Tsukasa's case was different. She was more like a dam that was slowly accumulating cracks. The leakages here and there could always be fixed by blocking them, but eventually, enough cracks would cause the entire dam to break. Yutaka had to wonder whether this was the first crack or if there had been more in the past. She dearly hoped it was the former rather than the latter.

The red-head felt at hand squeeze her own. She glanced to Minami who merely blinked and then turned away. Yutaka squeezed back and whispered. "I'm sorry. They're getting to me..."

"It's okay. I felt the same way. Just give them some time..."

"I know..."

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, Misao!"

The brunette had been running full tilt when she heard the familiar voice of Minoru Shiraishi. Skidding to a halt, she turned to face the boy.

"Shiraishi. What's up?" She asked, rubbing the sweat from her brow.

"Take it easy, Misao. You were running yourself ragged back there" Minoru said.

"Ha. That's what you think" She chuckled. True, she was a little winded but it was nothing to get worried about. She was far from exhausted, at least physically. Emotionally, she was close to breaking down. It was the very reason she was running in the first place.

"Misao... Is there something wrong?"

She replied with a smile. "What makes you think there's something wrong?" She asked innocently. She closed her eyes and sighed. "You know, you'd be the perfect boy friend. You'd be able to tell when your girlfriend or whatever has a problem and be able to fix it." It was said jokingly but it didn't seem like it was meant to be funny. "I'm trying to do that but I don't think I'm doing it well"

"Kagami Hiigragi" The boy said. She didn't even need to outright say it. "I'm guessing that something came up..."

"I was there for her... but it wasn't enough." She stomped her foot in frustration. "I did all I can! What else is there I can do!?"

Minoru rubbed his temples. "Misao, tell me, were you the one to cause... whatever it is that's affecting Kagami?" He asked.

"... No... But-"

"THINK." He cut her off. "It's not your fault. It has nothing to do with you. You can't just go and try solving all of Hiiragi-san's problems for her."

"But-"

"No, Misao." He said before she could interject. "You've done what you can. Hiiragi-san just has to solve this one her own."

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!? THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT. I KNOW I WONT BE ABLE TO HELP HER IN THIS." She knelt, finally giving in to her feelings. No tears fell - she had already cried her eyes out in the infirmary - but they weren't needed to know how Misao felt. "I KNOW I CAN'T DO ANYTHING..." Misao yelled.

"Misao..."

"BUT I CAN'T JUST DO NOTHING"

"Misao, I'm sorry..."

"SO I'M DOING SOMETHING. I'M RUNNING. I'M RUNNING UNTIL I CAN'T RUN ANYMORE."

"Misao, I'M SORRY!" Minoru yelled as well. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I just... I thought..."

He couldn't quite say what he wanted to say. He kept stumbling over himself. Misao kept quiet as he tried again and again to apologize. Even if he managed to finish, she wouldn't forgive him - She didn't need to. It was a misunderstanding. No one was at fault and there was nothing to forgive.

Misao had enough. "Just let me run, Shiraishi. Please..."

Minoru grimaced. He must have thought he had made a grave mistake. Misao didn't blame him for anything, but there was nothing she could do if he blamed himself. "... Go..." He whispered, taking a shaky step backward. "... run..." He closed his eyes and began walking away.

Misao stood like a statue as she watched the boy leave her line of sight. But even when he was gone already she remained rooted in place. She wanted to run. She wanted to forget all her problems until she was ready to face them. But those problems had caught up to her. Where could she run to now?

"Uhhhg. Damn you, Shiraishi! You threw me off my groove!" She groaned in frustration. "Fine! I should be getting back there now anyway."

She stormed towards the school building.

**LUCKY STAR**

As Miyuki walked the halls, she couldn't help but wonder what Minoru had been so upset about. Mere moments before, the boy had dejectedly approached them and said it was time for him to go home. Akira glanced worriedly to Miyuki before following him out the school gates.

_There seems to be a lot of people feeling down today. Kagami, Misao, and now, Minoru. I suppose the stress of festival preparations is taking a heavier toll on some more than others..._

When Miyuki reached the door to the nurse's office, she paused. Her hand hovered over the door knob for a full second before she pulled it took one step away from the door and stared at it.

Something wasn't right and she felt it. Rather, something felt very unpleasant and she wasn't sure she wished to venture further. She felt like her entering the room would be meddling with something she wasn't a part of. It was as if she wasn't welcome.

_Why do I feel this way? I can think of no plausible reason for me to not enter, so why am I still standing here?_ Miyuki asked herself. _Oh dear, what am I to do? Should I ignore this feeling and enter anyway? Should I just leave right now and go home?_ She wondered. _Those two are my immediate choices but I suppose I could also just sit here and wait for something to happen. After all, my friends are still in there. Whatever happens, they'll have to leave there eventually._

The pinkette sensed someone approaching behind her so she turned to face to incoming person.

"Heya, Takara..."

"Misao-san... Hello" The brunette was surprisingly subdued. "Is Kagami...?" She approached the subject gingerly. She wasn't sure how Misao would react.

"Yeah... She's in there..." She answered as she walked forward and opened the door. "C'mon. Let's go in"

Miyuki sighed to herself. _Because of my indecision, it seems someone else made the choice for me_. She followed Misao into the infirmary.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami was slow to wake.

She had dreamed of nothing, and yet that very nothing seemed to be seeping into the physical world, or at least that's what she felt was happening. She felt cold, and empty - like the dreamless sleep she endured had been experienced in the vacuum of space and that was exactly what she was waking up to.

But she knew that wasn't true. She felt the soft cushions and rough fabric under her skin. She could smell the sterile and disinfected air stinging her nose. She could hear the incoherent whispers of the rooms occupants around her. She knew exactly where she was and was sure whether she thought it was better or worse than suffocating in the freezing emptiness of outer space. She had no clue, even when she finally opened her eyes and stared at the white ceiling.

"How long was I out...?" She muttered, not really paying attention to who was around her.

"Since Misao brought you here, you've been unconscious for an hour and a half."

Her eyes remain unfocused but after racking her severely numb mind, she noted that it was Minami who had spoken. "Thank you, Minami-san." She said. She blinked and said simply. "I want to go home."

"Onee-chan..." She felt pressure on her chest and a soothing warmth enter her system.

"Tsukasa..." Her mind registered that her sister was with her. "Please... I'm tired..."

"O-okay..." The younger twin said meekly as she let go of the older twin. "...Um...Can you walk...?"

"Give me a minute"

Kagami blinked, finally putting in the effort to look around. On one side of her was Minami and Yutaka, both staring at her - one with a stoic glare and the other with a cutely anxious gaze. Opposite to them were Konata and Tsukasa, staring in similar fashion.

The tsundere looked at the two of them thoughtfully. I've never seen Tsukasa this worried... and I've never seen Konata this serious... They must really care about me.

One thing she didn't notice immediately was the presence - or lack of presence - of her girlfriend. "Where's Misao...?" She asked.

"Yo..." The door opened and in came Misao. She suddenly stopped in her tracks "... Kagami... How long have you been awake?" She asked, wide eyed. Then she shook her head "Forget it, I don't care anymore." She lunged forward and hugged Kagami. "I'm so glad you're awake now..."

Kagami closed her eyes and returned the hug. She felt drained and the physical contact seemed to be refreshing her. When the pulled away from the hug, Kagami gave Misao a little peck on the lips. "Thanks... I needed that..." She muttered.

Misao reacted out of character in Kagami's opinion. She simply touched her lips and and smiled sadly.

Kagami sat up and turned to Tsukasa. "I think I'm ready now..." The twin replied with a nod.

As The Hiirigis stood, Konata stood as well, shouldering all three of their bags. Kagami noticed this and glanced at Tsukasa. Her right hand was in a splint. She didn't know what happened, but she'd ask when they got home. She just wanted the day to end already and getting home was the first step to it.

The three of them, including Misao began walking out the door. Kagami felt really weird since none of them were talking but in the end, it didn't really matter. She was going home and that was all that was important to her at that time.

_I don't care anymore. The festival doesn't matter now. Nothing matters now..._

**LUCKY STAR**

**Guess which parts of this chapter was written in October, November, and December respectively. You'll find it surprising.**

**Remember when I said I hated writing angst? That has not changed. Every single one of Kagami's anxiety attacks were events I absolutely detested writing. Still, over the course of half a year, I've been writing angsty and dramatic chapters. I don't know why I do this despite my dislike of it. Maybe I'm a masochist or something.**

**Anyway, I'm gonna get a move on with the plot at the expense of possibly killing the pacing. No promises, but it's likely that a number of issues that arose over the course of this story will be resolved in the next few chapters. Look out of that once I decide to post it. Whenever that'll be.  
**

**Follow, Favorite, and/or Review if you want to. It'll be greatly appreciated. Til next chapter guys.**


	26. A night of knots

**Happy new year! I decided to have a night of knots - tying up loose ends. It IS the end of the arc and the year, right?**

**LUCKY STAR**

"Yu-chan, I'm home!"

Konata arrived at the Izumi household just in time to make dinner. She had just escorted Kagami and Tsukasa home and the trip was somber and silent. Now that she had returned to her own home, she was met with more silence upon opening the front door. She was starting to get sick of the deafening quiet that was all too often invading her life recently.

_Where is everyone? Is Yutaka already asleep?_ Konata asked herself. With a tired sigh, she closed the door and took off her shoes. _Might as well check_. She thought as she began making her way up the stairs.

Right as the bluenette was about to knock, Yutaka's door opened, revealing the sad smile and deep green eyes of its occupant. "Welcome home, Onee-chan" Yutaka greeted.

Konata blinked. "Oh... Hey there..." She was surprised by that"I'm gonna start making dinner now. Any requests?"

It took a while for her to answer but eventually she shook her head. "None... Anything will be fine. It'll taste good either way." She said with subdued cheer.

It was genuinely happy - happy enough to make Konata smile, even - but it felt off. It was like her emotions were leftovers that were taken out of the microwave too early. It wasn't warm enough. _What's going on with her?_ The older girl wondered.

Still, nothing seemed to be wrong. If there was a problem, she was sure Yutaka would at least tell her about it. She nodded at the shorter girl and slid the door closed.

Entering her own room, Konata removed her shirt and shorts and changed into her household clothes - which, coincidentally, was a shirt and shorts as well. Dropping her bag on the floor and leaving her discarded clothes on the bed, she left the room and made her way to the kitchen.

"Now...what to cook...?" Konata wondered aloud

**LUCKY STAR**

"What's got YOU so moody?"

Misao arrived home in the middle of dinner. Without even changing out of her track suit, shesat down at the table and began eating. Even with everyone else's head start, she still managed to finish before all of them. She excused herself from the table, brought her plate to the sink, and went upstairs to her room without uttering a single word. She took off her clothes, tossed them against the wall and collapsed into the bed. She was about to drift into unconsciousness when suddenly she heard her brother's voice.

Misao groggily sat up and and glared at Masaru. "What do you want?"

Masaru blinked as he returned her gaze. "Well for starters, I want you to answer my question" He dead panned. "I'll ask again in case you already forgot. What's got you so moody?"

"I don't want to answer" Misao said before turning around and burying her face into her pillow. "Just go away" Was the muffled demand she added shortly after.

Masaru remained silent for some time. Eventually he sighed. "Whatever. Just don't let it get to you for too long. As much as I hate seeing you happy, seeing you sad is just too unusual for me." With that, the boy left the room.

A few minutes after he left, Misao rolled over and looked at the ceiling. _Kagami..._ She thought, sending a flood of worry into her chest, making it hard to breathe. _I can't help you. You can only help yourself._ She closed her eyes tightly, tears beginning to form._ So why aren't you doing that yet?_

**LUCKY STAR**

Dinner at the Iwasaki estate was... lively? Tatsuya Takara and Shintaro Iwasaki, father of Miyuki and Minami respectively, had suddenly returned from work that evening surprising not only the two daughters, but the two wives as well.

"We took the week off." Tatsuya said. "We realized that our daughters are going to be having their school festival so we went on leave. I'm sure the executives won't mind running the company for seven days without us. Ain't that right, Shintaro?" He slapped his thigh in laughter.

"Absolutely!"

As the two men talked animatedly about their office shenanigans with their employees, Miyuki and Minami sat next to each other and ate, stealing glances at one another as they non-verbally communicated across the table.

Minami blinked and tilted her head towards her father, looking at him for a split second before shooting a questioning look to Miyuki. _Did you know about this?_ She was asking.

Miyuki smiled and closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly. She opened her eyes and glanced at her own father, before raising her hand up to her mouth to hide her silent chuckling. _I knew as much about this as you did. It's certainly a pleasant surprise._

Minami nodded and the two returned to their meal.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata and Yutaka were doing the dishes when they heard their front door unlock and open. Shortly after, they heard a tired greeting from the house's only male occupant.

"I'm home!" Sojiro called out. He sounded tired - happy, but tired. "Did you save me some food? I'm starving." He said as he entered the kitchen.

"Good evening Uncle Sojiro"

"Hey there, dad." Konata greeted "Tonight and last night's leftovers are in the fridge. Pick a box and heat it up"

"Thanks, Konata. You're the best" For the next few minutes, Sojiro ate.

Konata and Yutaka were able to finish the dishes before he even got the food out of the microwave so they simply watched him.

It was obvious he was unnerved by this, not that he said anything. He remained silence, though it could be inferred from his actions. He would sometimes stop right in the middle of eating to glance at the two of them staring at him - his hand would still be raised, en-route to his mouth. He would then continue on and act like he never stopped in the first place - as if he were just a paused video that was unpaused. Also, he chewed slowly; thoughtfully; uncomfortably. It took a painstakingly long time for him to finish.

Afterwards, he said thanks for the meal and began washing the lunch box. The two waited at the living room for him to finish. When the sound of water stopped, Sojiro entered the room and sat opposite the two girls on the table.

"Dad..." Konata began in a low voice. She was leaning forward, elbows on the table, and hands interlocked in front of her mouth. She was like an mad genius plotting a evil scheme. The looked worked surprisingly well on her. "Dad, do you understand why I'm posing like Gendo Ikari...?" She asked.

Sojiro smiled nervously. "Um... Because you want me to go in the damn robot?" He said in the hope that she was in the mood for anime jokes.

Konata blinked and thought for a while on how to react. She chose to ignore what he just said. "Dad, why didn't you tell us about your work?" She asked flatly.

The man swallowed. "Well...uh..." Fear was in his eyes, and Konata could see it. "You never asked..." He answered unconvincingly.

The bluenette leaned back and crossed her arms, nodding slowly with a face pure skepticism. "Uh huh..." _Who the hell did you think you were fooling, dad?_

Sojiro shrunk at the sight. "I was embarrassing, okay." He said, finally giving in. "To go from writing light novels to reading them with people who have a lot of money and not a lot of social skills... Just..." He trailed off, not really completing his sentence, but it wasn't hard to guess what he was saying.

"It's fine, dad. I'm just glad that you have a job that didn't involve smuggling or something." She said, relaxing into the sofa. "Still, I'm surprised they hired you for that rent-a-man thing. Then again a lot of people are in to that sort of stuff"

"I actually got the idea from you." Sojiro said helpfully. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. You must have been really worried about me"

"Really now?" Konata sighed. "Look, dad. I haven't really forgiven you for that. Not yet." She said bluntly. "Its gonna take a long time before I'm ready to forgive you for putting me through all that. But I'll get there"

"Thank's Konata."

"No c'mon... I need a hug." She said, standing up arms raised in anticipation for an embrace that she received soon after. "Yu-chan, get in here too" She said a moment later.

"Okay."

The three hugged quietly before heading to bed.

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa stood in front of her sister's doorway, contemplating on what to do. The older twin had immediately entered the room the moment she got home and hadn't left since. She didn't react to any knocks on her door nor their mother calling when dinner started. Everyone was worried for her, Tsukasa most especially.

She knocked lightly on the door, clinging to the hope that it'd unlock and slide open. "Sis, are you awake...?" She said meekly. "We already had dinner, if you want to eat, there are left overs in the fridge..." No response. The younger twin gave a slow nodded and a low whimper. "Good night, Kagami..." She said quietly before turning around and entering her own room.

As she changed into her pajamas, she couldn't help but wonder what her sister was thinking. She could understand what she was feeling - the negativity radiating from her door was enough to get a clear picture. Tuskasa's question was WHY...

Why was Kagami so sad? and angry? and all those other emotions oozing through the cracks of her door? Why was it that nothing that Tsukasa said had any effect. Why why why.

She didn't find the answer no matter how hard she tried. Shelving the dilemma for the night, Tsukasa lied down on her bed, hoping the answer comes to her in her sleep. Within moments she drifted off into unconsiousness

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki stood by the doorway to the living room. It was a large heavy-wood double-door with stainless steel door knobs and a reinforced door frame. It was pretty sturdy - probably would be able to withstand even a shot gun blast to the hinges. It would definitely protect whoever was inside from any intruders should they ever come. Unfortunately, they don't protect very well from eavesdroppers. Miyuki had been standing there, listening for at least half an hour at that point and no one has noticed.

"So, what do you think of my proposition?" Miyuki heard Honoka ask. "Would it be acceptable?"

"Well, I'm not against it. What about you, Shintaro?"

"I'm fine with it as well. I'll accept you no matter what. I'm just glad you accept us."

Miyuki heard Honoka chuckle. "I'll always accept you. We're all family here, aren't we?"

Miyuki closed her eyes solemnly and afforded herself a small smile. This is a surprising development. She thought. Surprising, but pleasant. I can't wait to tell Minami the good news. She sighed before walking away from the door and returning to her room.

**LUCKY STAR**

[Hello, Ayano?]

[What do you want, Kusakabe?]

[Akira? What the hell are you doing with Ayano's phone?]

[I'm holding it for safe keeping. We're in the hospital right now]

[What!? Seriously!?]

[Yes, now keep it down. You really hurt my ear with that one.]

[Sorry... What happened to Ayano?]

[This morning she fell down the stairs and hit her head. A few hours later, we woke up and found her sprawled on the floor, unconscious. We rushed her to the hospital.]

[So that's why no one was answering the home phone when we called earlier. Wait, if you have her cell, why didn't you answer when we called it?]

[It was in silent mode. She didn't even set it to vibrate. I only realized you were calling just now because it was on the table and it suddenly lit up.]

[How is she?]

[She's doing fine. She woke up just fine a few hours ago but the doctor advised at least a day of rest and a few more tests before she's allowed to leave]

[That sucks...]

[Yeah. Tell me about it. Anyway, I don't want to wake Ayano up so let's wrap this up. She needs her rest.]

[Gotcha'. Tell her I said "Hi". Good night."]

[Yeah. Night]

**LUCKY STAR**

**I long for a day when I can return to my weekly release schedule. My quality has gotten better! Why couldn't my output rate have remained that same?**

**As I said in the opening A/N, Happy New Year. I really hope you people enjoyed 2014. It has been a great year for me in terms of fanfiction since this is literally my first year as an author. Not many people can say they've got a 100k word story under their belt that's still on-going. Okay, maybe a lot of people can, but it's only been 8 months. It's certainly an achievement, right? Not mention two other stories.**

**Got a lot of plans for 2015 and one of them involves finishing this story. Look forward to it I guess. Til' then, see you guys around**


	27. Before the play

**A week after my last update, I bring you the next one! I hope you all enjoy it.  
**

**edit: To all reviewers, I'd like to point out that I do not understand Spanish. I request that future reviews be posted in English so I don't have to use Google Translate anymore  
**

**LUCKY STAR**

In the empty classroom, Kagami sat hunched over the table, propping her head with her right arm, and watched the festival take place outside the window. The sounds of activity were muffled yet were still heard. The aroma of street food was faint but still smelled. The students and visitors enjoying themselves were distant but still seen. By all means, it was the school festival, and yet no matter how hard Kagami tried, she just couldn't feel it. It wasn't a festival, it was a farce. No matter how genuine everything was, to her, it was just a facade made by naive try-hard students to convince her that it was worth wasting her time and effort to even TRY and participate in the so-called festival.

_Why am I thinking like this._ Kagami thought. _How was I supposed to know my class would make all my work useless? Those people outside have nothing to do with it. It isn't their fault._ She tilted left and leaned her head on the window's glass, clenching her fists. _It's not their fault. It's my classmate's fault. It's my fault. It's not their fault, it's ours... But why am I so angry at them?_ She slid her head downward and rested her head on the windowsill, covering her face by pulling at her bangs. _What's done is done! I can't change it! Why can't I just let it go!?_

Kagami didn't know how long she stayed that way, but she was eventually snapped out of it by the sound of the classroom door opening. Light yet surprisingly powerful footsteps followed, stopping just short of her table. She knew exactly whose footsteps they were. She knew and was pleasantly surprised to know that she knew.

She sat up and turned towards her visitor. "What do you want, Misao?" She winced internally. She didn't mean to say it as coldly as she did.

The brunette raised her hands and took a step back. "Just checking on ya. You don't need to be so harsh." She said delicately.

"Sorry... It sorta just slipped out..." The tsundere sighed and returned to looking out the window. "Well, what is it?" She asked quietly.

Kagami heard Misao jump up and sit on one of the tables. "Well, you've been staying locked up in here all week. It's already Friday. Today's the last day of the festival." She stated. "Don't you think you should at least see your sister's play?"

The pony tailed girl didn't respond. She didn't know how. There was no rational reason for feeling this angry and yet she was. She knew that while she was as irritable as she was, everyone would avoid her. So she stayed in the classroom. Just because she wasn't enjoying the festival didn't mean that others shouldn't enjoy as well. She would have abstained from going to the festival outright if it weren't for Tsukasa.

_That's right... I only went because of Tsukasa..._ She turned and faced Misao who was looking at her with a sad but hopeful smile. Kagami couldn't help but smile as well. _It IS for Tsukasa, so..._ "Sure... I'll go..."

"Great. They should be starting in fifteen minutes." The brunette jumped off the table and held out her hand. "Let's go"

**LUCKY STAR**

"You'll be surprised by what will happen to you in a few minutes. Trust me, you won't expect it. You might not like it, though..."

Class 1-D had been crowded by a fair number of students all week because a certain fortune teller had a knack for accurately predicting any customer's immediate future. Around eighty students have tried already and there was yet to be anyone who was disappointed.

"Why won't I like it?" The boy asked nervously.

In the dark booth, Yutaka sat opposite the boy, with a glowing glass orb on the table between them. The shadows cast by the crystal ball made her seem more ominous than most four foot fifteen year olds would.

"Well, I said you MIGHT not like it. I'm not really sure."

The curtain that served as the door to Yutaka's booth was then opened, revealing a girl with orange hair and bandages wrapped around her head. "So THIS is where you went, MASARU!"

The boy jumped. "AYANO! H-hi... S-sorry about leaving you. I didn't mean to..." He said shakily. He turned back towards Yutaka and whispered. "Kid, whatever magic you have, it's real. Help me out here."

The red-head giggled. "Sorry. I can only see the future. Not prevent it."

"Now, Masaru, you've had your fun. It's time to go. Hiiragi-san's play is about to start." The girl grabbed him by the collar and began dragging him away.

"Good luck" Yutaka waved cheerfully goodbye.

Minami walked into the booth before turning around to look at the couple causing a commotion outside. "What was that all about?"

Yutaka removed her witch's hat and turned off the glowing ball. "That guy came in here and I sensed that he was hiding from someone. And then, I felt someone enter the classroom who was looking for someone. I put two and two together and foretold his future." She said as she removed the cloak she was wearing.

Minami nodded and closed the curtains. "You should tell me before you decide to change..." She said, blushing. "If I didn't realize what you were doing, people might have seen"

Another giggle came from the red-head. "Don't worry, Minami. I trust you."

As Yutaka undressed, Minami stood guard by the curtains, trying her best not to look back even though it was nothing she hadn't already seen. Yutaka, was similarly embarrassed to be stripping right in front of her girlfriend even though she'd done it for PE countless times before. And neither of them spoke, making the awkward tension even worse.

"S-so..." Yutaka stuttered in an attempt to alleviate tension. "I h-heard from the two earlier th-that Onee-chan and Tsukasa-senpai's play is about to start..."

"Oh? Okay..."

The shorter girl mentally cringed. Neither of them were particularly good at starting and continuing conversations under such tension. Whenever one of them tried, they would just make things even more awkward. Although a thought came to mind upon mentioning Tsukasa. The thought wasn't a pleasant one.

"... I'm worried about Kagami-senpai..."

Minami sighed. "I'm worried too..."

"From what I heard from Onee-chan, she hasn't been eating dinner and every day for the last week, all she's been doing was locking herself in the classroom"

Earlier that week, the two had entered 3-C and lo and behold, she was there, sitting quietly at a desk near the window. Neither of the two first years wanted to disturb her so they simply closed the door and left. It wasn't unlikely that she had been doing that for the ENTIRE week. As for not eating dinner, Konata received that information from Tsukasa. There was not doubt it was true. Unfortunately, it made things all the more troublesome.

"She'll get better." Minami stated as if it were a fact. "She's strong enough to get though it. I'm sure she'll realize it soon enough."

"That's a bit harsh..." Yutaka muttered before smiling. "But I think you're right. I believe in Kagami-senpai. She'll bounce back from this"

Sensing that the shorter girl was finished changing into her uniform, the taller girl turned around. "It's a bit out of topic but I wanted to know since Monday. Why you were wearing a different uniform in the first place? Couldn't you have just worn your regular uniform under your cloak and witch's hat?"

"Onee-chan said it'd look better if I was wearing it. She said it matched this one anime character's outfit perfectly" Yutaka said with a giggle.

The mint haired girl stared for a bit before smiling slightly. "C'mon. Let's go to the auditorium"

**LUCKY STAR**

"Uhhh It just makes me so angry that I wasn't able to do anything!"

"Patty, I know. You've been saying that since Monday."

Hiyori and Patricia walked the halls of the school. Patricia was once again frustratedly complaining about how she wasn't able to do the cheer leading routine she wanted to do for the opening ceremony and Hiyori was doing her best to tune it out (it wasn't working).

"So what if we weren't able to do anything? There's always next year, right?" Hiyori agrued. She had made that argument at least twelve times already and from the looks of it, the response would remain the same.

"But I wanted to do it THIS YEAR!"

_The very same reply, word for word._ Hiyori sighed. "You can't change the past, Paticia"

"I know, but it doesn't mean I can't complain about it!"

_And there's strike three._ The raven haired girl removed her glasses and massaged the bridge of her nose. _Doesn't she notice how many time's we've repeated this same exact conversation? Uhhh this is like endless eight all over again._

"Well, we're here." The blond said.

They had arrived at the auditorium and from the sound escaping from the cracks of the door, a band was playing.

"Did we arrive at the correct time?" The glasses girl asked.

"Hey, Tamura, Martin!" From across the hall, a familiar voice rang. The two turned to face Ko Yasaka walking hurriedly towards them.

"Ko-senpai. What's up?" Hiyori asked

"Well, I'd like to say is, our timeslot got pushed back five minutes." Ko gestured to the auditorium doors. "Those girl in there decided to do one last song before ending it. We'll be up in just a few minutes."

"I like the music they're playing." Patricia commented. "It seems so familiar, like I heard it from an anime or something. But I think I'd remember it if that was the case..."

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Let's go in"

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki checked inside the auditorium and the place was packed with students and guests alike. _This is a surprising number of people._ She noted. _But I suppose that's a given considering that this is a guest performance by a different school's light music club._

There were five member's on stage. Up front was a short haired brunette with a guitar and a girl with long raven hair on what looked to be a left handed bass. To the left was a blond girl who was the keyboardist, at the back was another short brown haired girl who played the drums, and a twin tailed girl also on guitar. The brunette at the front was singing a rather energetic song about rice.

When the song came to an end, Minoru came up on stage. "And that was the Sakuragoa Highschool Light Music Club Band, Houkago Tea Time. I hope you guys enjoyed that, because I sure did." He chuckled lightly before it was business as usual once more. "We'll have a ten minute intermission before the next performance, which, by the way, is my class's play. Death Should Not Have Taken Thee! written by one of my classmates, Konata Iumi. We'd greatly appreciate it if you decide to watch it." He bowed and then gestured to the projector screen on the wall next to the stage. "Until then, please enjoy this short animation brought to us by the Animation Research Club."

_I feel very nervous that our play will be following THESE performances..._ Miyuki thought. She stole one final look at the stage before turning around and leaving the auditorium. _We have ten minutes to prepare. Though I doubt any preparation will be worth anything since they're all ad-libing everything anyway..._

**LUCKY STAR**

Backstage, Tsukasa stared at herself in the mirror. The costume looked intricate and the crown could be passed off as an actual crown. She looked cute. Yet somehow she felt like it wasn't enough. She knew her looks weren't enough to carry her performance. Somehow, she got the feeling that she wouldn't be able to make it in terms of acting.

Konata approached her with a reassuring smile. "Tsukasa, relax. Nothing will go wrong." She said in an attempt to cheer her up. "With the way everything's set up, nothing CAN go wrong. Remember what I taught you"

The bluenette turned to the rest of the actors. "The same goes to all of you! Remember my lessons! Make every failure a success! Make the unintended look deliberate!" She pointed into the air in an exaggerated pose. "ADAPT! SURVIVE! YOU ARE PREDATORS! THIS PLAY IS YOUR PREY!" With just a few words, Konata managed to stir the class in to a frenzy. "NOW GO OUT THERE AND KILL IT!" The class cheered, sufficiently energized by Konata's speech.

Tsukasa smiled and thought to herself. _She's right. I'll do great today. I just wish sis will come and see my play. If she did that, I'm sure I'd be happier..._

**LUCKY STAR**

**Well that was a chapter.**

**This was actually made on January five, somewhere between midnight and six in the morning. School was hours away from starting back up and I was having trouble getting to sleep. I decided to try writing and see if I could get to sleep that way. It didn't work. I basically wrote the night away and went the entire day of school dead on my feet. I'm just glad I managed to get some sleep in between classes.**

**I hope you enjoyed that chapter. The next one will be a bit different in a sense that it's Konata's play and everything happening is not real. See you next update.  
**


	28. During the play

**In my last author's note, I said that nothing in this chapter would be real because it would be Konata's play. This chapter technically IS Konata's play, but all of this IS real. There are barely any lines from the play itself and I apologize for that. Instead, have the inner thoughts and drama of these characters during the play.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Hushed whispers carried from one side of the auditorium to another, not quite loud enough to understand clearly, but certainly loud enough to hear. There were a lot of them - it almost made it feel like the room wasn't quiet to the point that soft spoken words could echo. It was like being surrounded by spirits, screaming at you with all their might. You'd feel like you'd go deaf from all the racket yet not a single peep was actually being heard.

That was what Kagami felt as she stood at the very back of the auditorium. She kept her head down and hugged herself tightly. She clutched her shirt with her left hand and massaged the bridge of her nose with her other hand, doing her best not to show her face, lest it betray how she was feeling.

The not quite perfect silence was suffocating in that it was neither loud enough to hide in nor quiet enough to know that no one was there. It made her feel exposed; vulnerable. She didn't like feeling that way and it took all her will power to even remain standing as the play went on. She wasn't even paying attention any more. She just wanted the leave - she wanted to go back outside and blend into the background noise of the anonymous strangers walking the school halls.

Misao was of a similar want to leave the room, but due to a different thought process. As far as she could tell, Kagami wasn't enjoying the play - rather, COULDN'T enjoy it. She could think of a number of reasons why but the most obvious one that came to mind was her feelings of inadequacy. The brunette knew Kagami's anger and shame towards both her classmates AND Kagami herself. There was no doubt the it was shameful, and she had every right to be angry, but there was a striking lack of common sense in Kagami's self destructive thought processes on the matter that Misao found, frankly, tiring.

For a long time now, she had been getting tired of it - all the drama, the overreaction, the constant need for reassurance. This made Misao painfully worried. If and when she gets sick of trying to help Kagami - if and when she decides to give up on her - what then? What'll happen to Kagami? The brunette fears the day it may or may not come, but everyone has a breaking point. That scared her. The mere fact that she even addressed the possibility left her utterly terrified. Would their love last? She had been in love with Kagami for over six years. Would it really just end?

These questions burdened her brain and they were a burden she was unwilling to carry. She refused to believe it was even possible. Even still, the questions remain as she stared at the lavender haired girl on the stage - who had the likeness Kagami, except with short hair and rounder eyes - acting cheery and lighthearted. She longed for a day when the actual Kagami would be that happy as well.

_You're all I'm ever thinking about these days. I'm getting worried about you, Kagami._ She thought. _I just want you to be happy..._

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa watched the crowd from the corner of her eyes. They looked fairly entertained, which was a great relief to Tsukasa as she continued acting out her role.

The back and forth banter between her and Minoru had always been difficult for her. It seemed the like boy was far more experienced with making witty remarks than she was. The gap in their level of wit felt like a large chasm in between them that she was required to jump. There was no way she could jump it and yet she did, and somehow she kept finding updrafts that blasted her back up when she started falling too low. Right as she forgets her actual line or when Minoru stumps her, she thinks up a line of her own on-the-spot. Her recoveries and retorts normally came out of nowhere and felt childish, yet the audience always found it funny. It felt very confusing to Tsukasa but she was thankful either way.

As Minoru began a long winded explanation on why it was a bad idea to attack the enemy forces head on, Tsukasa began scanning the crowd, making it as obvious as possible that she wasn't listening. Many of those watching got an amused chuckle out of it, though Tsukasa wasn't really paying attention to it.

There, at the very back of the room were two girls standing next to each other, one with a side pony tail, and one with short hair. _Misao and Sis..._

Tsukasa looked away. The audience would look in Kagami's direction if she kept her eyes trained on them. She knew how much that kind of attention made Kagami uncomfortable recently.

_She looked so... scared... so angry..._ The air head thought to herself. Her brow furrowed. _My feelings can't interfere. I'm doing a play and I'm the lead role. I can't let my worry over Kagami distract me from this._

With a loud snap of fingers, Tsukasa was brought out of her thoughts.

"Hey, were you even listening?" Minoru asked, on hand on his hip and the other resting on the pommel of his fake sword. "We were talking about how it was a bad idea to attack head on. Our forces are too weak and we don't have enough guys with lots of defense to keep enemies off our guys with lots of attack power"

Tsukasa blinked at him. "You lost me at 'bad idea'..." She wasn't acting. She really did lose him at that point.

**LUCKY STAR.**

Konata watched from backstage as Tsukasa and Minoru acted out their roles, hitting the bull's-eye for more than one unplanned joke that brought the audience a surprising amount of amusement.

"They're really pulling out all the stops for this." She commented with a proud smile on her face. "Then again, this isn't practice anymore. Of course they'd give it their all" Her gaze moved to the crowd of watchers in their seats and her smile grew wider. "And it looks like the effort's paying off"

She scanned the crowd, looking for familiar faces.

One particularly easy person to spot was her dad. In the center aisle, near the middle row, was Sojiro, with a tripod set up, recording the play. Konata had asked permission to allow her father to take pictures and videos of the event. It took a lot of effort to convince the school to allow him back after last year's embarrassing sports festival incident. Most of the teachers were worried that the man would weird-out the students and other people with his perverted grin like he did previously. With good reason, Konata was worried as well. Surprisingly, they were all worried for nothing. Sojiro simply knelt there, staring into his camera, focused on capturing the scenes playing out on stage.

_I have to hand it to dad. He's showing a lot of self control today. It almost feels like he's possessed or something_

She continued looking around and, shortly after spotting Sojiro, she found Yutaka and Minami, sitting near the back, at the right most side of the room. She didn't envy their position. While the that particular corner was a good place to be in a classroom, - she could immediately recall over a dozen anime where the protagonist sat there - the said corner wasn't exactly an ideal location at which to watch a play. Still, they seemed entertained enough and that was enough for Konata.

_Awww. They're holding hands without even realizing it._

Further looking brought Hiyori and Patricia to her attention, the two of them standing at the left aisle of the room, near the middle row. In a completely expected turn of events, Hiyori was down on one knee, scribbling furiously at her sketch book with Patricia stealing a look at the drawing every so often. Konata made no comment and simply chuckled.

When her search finally brought her to Kagami and Misao, someone suddenly tapped her shoulder, prompting her to tilt her head back to see who it was.

"Konata-san, that is a disturbing display of neck flexibility..." Miyuki stated, taken slightly aback by the bluenette's head tilt. "Anyway, I'd like to talk to you..."

Konata turned around and faced her normally. "What's up?"

"I'd like to point out that Akira's missing."

The shorter girl stared and blinked. "What?"

Miyuki pushed up her glasses. "Akira Kogami is missing. She isn't back stage and she isn't in the audience." She explained. "I believe we may have to go look for her."

The shorter girl blinked once more. "Okay, this might be a problem if Sebastian finds out..." She muttered thoughtfully. "You know her better than I do. Can't you go look for her?"

"I plan of doing exactly that, just..." The pinkette sighed. "What I'd like to know is if you could offer some assistance. You don't have to come looking for her with me. Maybe just give me some guesses on where to look first?"

"Well, I really only know her from Lucky Channel. I've got no clue about what she's like outside of the show." Konata bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry. I don't think I'm gonna be of any help with that..."

Miyuki sighed once more "I expected as much but I hoped... Well sorry to bother you." She walked away, eyebrows crunched in worry.

"I hope she finds her..." Konata whispered in the silence following Miyuki's departure.

She blinked. _Silence? Isn't there supposed to be a play on going?_

With a glance at the stage, Konata saw the reason for the lack of noise. They were acting out the scene in which Minoru and his fellow knights had to sneak past the dragon guarding the enemy's base. With every step, their armor clinked loudly, causing every one of them to stand perfectly still and cringe. The frustration and anxiety in their faces as they inched past the obstacle was so believable that the audience, and yes even Konata, was watching intently.

Then one of the knights tripped and alerted the dragon. "OH COME ON! WHY NOW!?" With a loud yell from Minoru, the knights ran for the enemy fortress, stealth be damned. Konata giggled. Their acting was top notch, considering they were amateurs.

Deciding that they were doing fine, she returned her attention to the crowd with the intention of finding Kagami and Misao once more. She felt a mass of ice materialize in her chest when she could not find them. She felt the frozen water weigh her down when she looked back at the stage to Tsukasa and she was also worriedly scanning the audience. A sense of dread welled up inside her that she could only explain away as anxiety over Kagami.

What could happen that would cause such an intense reaction? Were the possibilities THAT bad that she'd feel that way? She didn't know the answer, and she doubted if Tsukasa knew either.

_Why do I have a really bad feeling about this...?_

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami walked the halls of the school, pulling Misao behind her, with classroom 3-C being her destination.

"Kagami, are you sure it's okay that we left in the middle of the play?" Misao asked as she nervously followed the tsundere past the various classrooms and booths set up by the students. "I mean, you'd only have to endure maybe fifteen more minutes in there or something. Couldn't we have stayed?"

Kagami did not reply but merely squeezed Misao's hand even tighter.

Misao sighed. She couldn't really do anything. She couldn't force Kagami to stay and even if the brunette tried, no doubt she'd receive opposition. Kagami was stubborn and Misao knew that. Nothing would convince her if she didn't want to be convinced.

As she was pulled along, Misao suddenly stopped and pulled Kagami backwards. Kagami ended up loosing her grip on Misao's hand because of the sudden tug. The pony tailed girl turned to face her girl friend when she suddenly felt a short person bump into her. Looking down, they saw Akira Kogami glaring up at them.

"_Watch where you're going._" Akira growled menacingly

Kagami was taken aback but quickly got over it. Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "I could say the same thing to you..." She said coldly.

Misao eyed the two of them nervously. _This is bad. This is very very bad..._ The electricity in the air made her hair stand on end. She feared that the eventual explosion would be more than she could handle. She looked around. Already, people were gathering to watch. _This won't end well. It won't, I just know it..._

"Do you seriously expect people to step to the side and let you walk past them?" Kagami asked harshly.

With a smile and a tilt of her head, Akira replied. "_Well, that's what people normally do, so why not?_"

The banter was tense. One wrong move and the precious balance between anger and self control would collapse.

The pony tailed girl laughed. "You're four feet tall. You're about as threatening as a primary schooler"

"_What was that?_" Akira asked in a low whisper

Misao shifted her weight. "Uh... Kagami..." She muttered, tapping the tsundere's shoulder. "Kagami, I don't think this is a good idea..."

"Face it. You're a child in the eyes of everyone who can see." Kagami said bluntly "If anything, it should be YOU who steps aside."

"_You think I don't know!? For years, that's been the only thing people saw me as! A child! Don't you think I haven't gotten tired of it!?_" Akira yelled. "_But unlike you_" She pushed Kagami "_I've made a name for myself! I'm not some nobody highschooler with a superiority complex!_"

"Don't you dare touch me." Kagami growled, letting her arms fall to her side, hands clenched into fists. "And I don't have a superiority complex"

"_Well, you're still a nobody!_" Akira pushed her again. "_And I can touch you as many times as I want! What are you gonna do about it? You wouldn't hit a 'primary schooler', would you?_"

Kagami glared at her before chuckling darkly. "But you're not a primary schooler, aren't you?"

"Oh no..." Misao breathed. She tried to intervene at the last minute but it was too late. The violence already began.

**LUCKY STAR**

As Miyuki walked the second year's corridor, she noticed a steady flow of people going up to the third floor. _There aren't any booths in the senior's hallway._ She thought to herself. _Why are they going there?_ Curiosity getting the better of her, the pinkette decided to go upstairs and check. _Oh my..._ The moment she rounded the corner, she saw a circle of people gathered around what seemed to be a fight. The voices from within sounded all too familiar to Miyuki. _Please let me be wrong..._

"Excuse me. Pardon" The pinkette elbowed her way through the crowd, doing her best not to hurt whoever she tried to push past. "I apologize. Please forgive me." After good amount of effort, she finally reached the center and the scene before her was not a pleasant one.

Kagami was on the floor, demanding that she be let go as she tried to claw her way back to her feet. Akira was similarly enraged, growling threats and insuts as she flailed her arms in an attempt to get to Kagami. In between the two was Misao, keeping one knee and arm over Kagami's torso, pinning the tsundere down, and her other arm trying to block Akira from attacking. All of them were visibly hurt. Kagami had bruises on her cheek and forehead and Akira had a bleeding nose. Misao was worse off, with a bleeding lip and several bruises all across her face. Miyuki could only imagine the full extent of the three's injuries.

Miyuki looked around, face tense in anxiety. Everyone else around her had a similarly worried expression. _Why isn't anyone doing something!?_ She wanted to scream. She turned back towards the literal brawl before her and scowled. Pushing her glasses up and forcing her emotions down, she walked up to the three and addressed them coolly.

Just as Kagami managed to get back on her feet, Miyuki asked them, in a voice as clear and sharp as freezing cold mountain water "Just what do you three think you're doing?"

Her impassive gaze was met with a look of shock. Then Kagami and Akira tremblingly stood up and steadily walked backwards away from each other. Akira looked helplessly into Miyuki's eyes, slowly but guiltily turning away to face Kagami. Kagami met her stare with with trembling intensity before looking down at her somewhat bloodied hands in absolute horror. Not moving her gaze, her eyes refocused to Misao kneeling on the floor, looking tired and brutally beat up. Misao kept her head down, breathing heavily, shaking slightly as the effort to keep from collapsing on the spot was slowly becoming too much to bear. Kagami slowly shook her head before she turned towards Miyuki and burst into a sprint.

Miyuki went wide eyed and side stepped, barely dodging the girl running towards her. The rest of the crowd quickly parted as well and let her pass. Then, the pinkette blinked when she heard Misao's voice.

Shakily standing up, the brunette broke into a jog, hoping to catch up to the tsundere. As she started down the stairs, a ragged cry was heard "Kagami!" Misao yelled, voice growing fainter as she ran farther and farther away. "Kagami, come back!" It wasn't long before she was too far to hear over the festival activity.

As the crowd began to thin, Miyuki stayed, staring tensely in the direction they left, face pained with the effort to not to let her emotions get the better of her. Then, she turned to Akira who had fell to her knees, arms hanging limply at her side. Her gaze was still blank.

The pinkette's expression softened. She knelt in front of the Akira and gave her a hug, burying the shorter girl in her bosom. Miyuki felt the girl's tears soak through the fabric of her uniform. Akira wrapped her arms around Miyuki and began sobbing quietly.

"I'm sorry..." Akira whispered. "This was all my fault..."

Miyuki tightened the embrace "Shh... It's fine... everything's alright..."

_I don't know why Kagami and Akira fought. I'm sure both of them have their reasons. I just hope they can still reconcile after this..._

**LUCKY STAR**

**Technically, this is still Konata's play, but this is more about the stuff happening DURING the play than the actual play itself. It felt like tonal dissonance to add something THAT lighthearted when almost everyone was so tense. Of course, I could have always done it anyway, in an attempt to lampshade the said dissonance. The thing is, that was my initial plan. I took a look at my draft of that and I was not happy with it at all. So I scrapped it and did this.  
**

**Anyway, I seem to be getting my groove back so expect another chapter within the next week (give or take a few days). Til then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and if you didn't, I deeply apologize).**


	29. After the play

**Remember when I said this chapter would be released a week after the last ****release****? So do I...  
I can't tell you how bad I feel to have not been able to update on time. On the bright side, this is one of the longest chapters I've ever written, ****barring the first one which was originally 6k words but was pushed up to 9k when I rewrote it.**

**So here is exactly** **eight**** thousand four hundred words ****depicting the events _a_****_fter the play _we had the last chapter****. Enjoy ****if you can, and if you can't, I'm sorry**

**LUCKY STAR**

The curtain had fallen and the applause had ended. The audience had very much enjoyed the performance and had gone home with a lot of good things to say about it. Konata's play had been the one of the last events for that day and would no doubt leave a lasting impression to everyone who watched it.

Tsukasa was happy. She had managed the play her role competently and the audience had enjoyed it. However, she wasn't quite as happy as she could have been. As she changed out of her costume and back into her uniform, the smile she kept on her lips didn't look or feel completely genuine.

_Where's Kagami? Why'd she leave in the middle of the play?_ The younger twin felt a twinge of abandonment from her sister's disappearance. However, a stronger feeling overshadowed it._ I hope she's okay. I'm really worried about her..._ Tsukasa pouted, twisting her uniform in her hands.

"You know, you're gonna wrinkle that" Tsukasa blinked and looked behind her. Konata stood there, waving at her with a small smile on her face. "So, you gonna wear that or what?"

The lavender haired girl blushed and nodded. "Y-yeah." She began pulling the shirt over her head, having trouble with getting it on, what with her limbs suddenly feeling shaky.

Konata watched the taller girl struggle and couldn't help but chuckle. "Need some help there" She asked, looking away from the amusing scene.

Tsukasa flailed some more in an attempt to get her uniform on but only succeeded in pushing her right arm through the wrong hole in the shirt. With a sigh, she conceded. "Help..." She squeaked.

The bluenette smiled, face flushing slightly. "Alright, stay still"

As the two combined their efforts to right the shirt that was wrongly put on, Tsukasa's mind couldn't help but wander back to Kagami. Thus, when she was finally wearing her shirt correctly, she still had a quite worried yet completely unfocused look on her face.

There was a snap of fingers and Tsukasa was brought out of her stupor by Konata. "Thinking of Kagami?" She asked with a sad smile. Her question was answered with a quiet nod, which was followed up with Konata sighing her agreement. "Yeah, I can't get her out of my mind either."

The approach of two people was brought to Konata and Tsukasa's attention when the sound of footsteps behind them drew near. They turned around and saw Ayano Minegishi walking towards them. Hear head was covered in bandages but she looked otherwise fine. Next to her was a boy whose arm was viciously interlocked with Ayano's. His face had twinges of annoyance, somewhat overshadowed by not-well-hidden fear. Looking closely, he looked a bit like Misao.

"Good afternoon, Aya-chan" "Yo, Minegishi" Tsukasa and Konata greeted.

"Good morning Tsukasa-chan, Izumi-san"

With a curious tilt of her head, Tsukasa looked at the boy whose arm Ayano had caught in a veritable vice grip. "Who's your... friend?" She asked, not quite sure how to address the boy.

"This is Misao's brother, Masaru" Ayano said. "And he's not my friend, he's my boy friend"

Konata perked up when she heard the name. "Masaru...?" Recognition dawned on her face. "Wait, you're that kid who keeps getting in trouble with Yui nee-san!"

Masaru looked at Konata suspiciously. "Yui _nee-san_...? As in, Yui Narumi...? You're related to that cop!" He realized

"Yes, I am." Konata stated angrily. "Do you have any idea how much she gets in trouble because of the scenes you always end up making!? She keeps calling me in the middle of raids about the lectures she keeps getting about how to she needed keep kids like you out of trouble!"

"Hey, chill!" The boy stepped back, hands raised. "None of those incidents were my fault. And I apologized every time too." Was his not quite convincing defense. Then he added in a mutter "Give me a break. I already get scolded enough by Ayano..."

Konata pouted before sighing. He wasn't worth getting all worked up about and it didn't look like getting worked up would make much of a difference. "Uh, whatever. You're an asshole"

Ayano coughed to get everyone's attention. "To get off the topic of who my boyfriend is and why he's an asshole, I'd like to say the play was wonderful." She praised, to which Tsukasa and Konata were grateful for. "It was definitely refreshing to see you act so snide and unapologetic. It was almost like I was watching a whole different person"

Konata giggled. "Of course it wasn't Tsukasa on stage back there!" She exclaimed. "It was the queen on that stage and no one else!"

Tsukasa sweat dropped. "I'm not sure whether or not to take that as a compliment"

Konata clapped Tsukasa on the back. "It's a compliment, alright." She said with a smile. "You portrayed the character's personality as perfect as it could have been"

"Th-thanks..."

The three of them talked about the play (four if you count Marasu's off hand comments). Tsukasa felt extremely happy that they had enjoyed it. And to think, she had been so worried just a few minutes before the performance. Still, something was off. She didn't feel as happy as she could have been and she knew why.

"Kagami" Tsukasa suddenly said.

Ayano stared at her "...Kagami?" she asked in confusion. She crossed her arms and frowned thoughtfully "Come to think of it, where IS Hiiragi-san? I'd have expected her to be right here with us to congratulate you. Has something happened?"

"Ah... well"

The lavender haired girl had no idea how to explain the situation to Ayano. Ayano knew about how their plans for the festival were both literally and figuratively scrapped. But it seemed that she didn't understand what it did to Kagami. It also bothered Tsukasa that Ayano didn't seem to be so affected by the invalidation of their efforts. Although Kagami DID say that Ayano worked just as hard as she did.

_Maybe it just wasn't a big deal to Ayano..._ Tsukasa realized. _But still, Kagami feeling the way she is..._

Konata noticed that Tsukasa was deep in thought and answered for her. "Kagami and Misao were here earlier but they left before the play ended for some reason." She said. "Kagami's going through a lot"

"I'll say..."

The three girls turned towards Masaru who had wandered off while they were talking. He was sitting cross legged, leaning back on a chair, leafing through a copy of the play's script.

"That Hiiragi girl's a piece of work. Whatever she's been going through, she's been dragging Misao with her." He chuckled darkly as he turned another page. "Ever since Saturday, she's been looking like shit every time she got home"

"Saturday..." Ayano breathed. "You mean..."

"The day you got into your little accident..." Masaru frowned. He didn't need to look away from what he was reading to see the look of realization on Ayano's face. "Something happened while you weren't there. Probably something big..." He glanced at Tsukasa and Konata. "Maybe you should ask your friends for the whole story..."

"I need some air." He got up and began walking to the exit. "Call me when you're done"

"..." None of the three talked as the boy left the room. When he finally closed the door behind him, the silence remained.

A sigh from Konata finally broke the silence. "You might wanna sit down..."

**LUCKY STAR**

After congratulating Konata on a job well done on the play Yutaka and Minami leave the auditorium, intent on enjoying the rest of the festival day.

As they rounded a corner, they bumped into a distressed Minoru, who seemed to have been lost in his phone and ended up walking into Yutaka. Minami was quick to act and steadied the red head with a sturdy hand on her shoulder while pushing Minoru back a step.

Upon realizing who he had collided with, he immediately apologized. "S-sorry!" He said with a bow.

"Shiraishi-san, please watch where you're going. Yutaka might have gotten hurt" The mint haired girl scolded quietly.

"It's alright. I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten hurt." Yutaka reassured him. "Besides, with Minami here, I don't think _anything_ could hurt me"

Minoru smiled warmly. "Right. But I still should have watched where I was going. That was rude. I'll make sure to be more careful next time" His smile slowly faded into a frown and he looked at his phone once more.

"Is something wrong?" Yutaka asked.

The boy looked at her, and then to Minami. They looked genuinely concerned. He forced a smile. "It's nothing. I'm fine"

The red-head frowned. "You're lying..." She walked towards Minoru and grabbed his free hand, clasping her own hands around it. "It's not nothing. Something's worng and we want to help..."

Minoru frowned "It's none of your business..." He said intensely. His expression softened mere moments after. "But it might as well become your business..." He sighed "Sorry. I'm just a little on edge. I brought Akira with me today and she sort of went missing... again..."

Yutaka smiled and squeezed his hand once more. "It's okay. I can tell this Akira person is important to you. We'll help in whatever way we can." She said in an attempt to reassure him. "When did you last see her?"

"Right before the play"

"... Oh"

Yutaka frowned. That was nearly an hour ago. There was so many people on campus that day. It was going to be a big problem finding one particular person in the sea of festival goers that populated the halls.

"I suggest we start at the auditorium and work our way outward from there" Minami said helpfully. "We comb each floor and work our way downward."

Minoru nodded quietly. "Okay, let's head back to the auditorium, then..."

**LUCKY STAR**

The smell of sterilized air assaulted Miyuki's nose. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, but it brought unpleasant thoughts to the pinkette. Memories of terribly frightening appointments to the dentist plagued her mind. Still, she had grown used to the smell. It didn't take much effort to ignore it.

She sat on a bed in the nurse's office. The white lights softly diffused on the creamy white walls, reminding her of a smooth brew of tea and milk. And like milk and tea, the color of the walls had a similar calming effect on Miyuki, which she was quite thankful for.

Akira sat right next to her on the bed, glumly pressing a cold compress on her bruises. The salmon hair girl had tears streaming down her face for a long amount of time before eventually the flow stopped. And yet her face remained neutral, albeit pained. Miyuki knew the stoicism was an act.

_I get the feeling that she's using me as an emotional crutch... _Miyuki thought._ I know it's unhealthy to bottle up your emotions since it can lead to stunted emotional growth but I won't lecture her on it. There is a reason she doesn't want to just let it all out... _The pinkette glanced at the shorter girl and frowned._ I'm not one to pry but I would certainly like to know that reason. I'd like to help her but I can only do that if she lets me..._

Nurse Fuyuki Amahara walked towards the bed, Hikaru Sakuraba following behind. Fuyuki smiled warmly. "How are you doing?" She asked as she laid down two cups of tea on the table next to the bed.

Akira glanced up at the nurse and gave a pained smile. "_Just __peachy..._"

"So this is the girl who got into a fight with Hiiragi?" Sakuraba asked.

Miyuki nodded. "Her name is Akira Kogami. She's a middle school senior."

Sakuraba chuckled. "Well, I'm surprised she survived with just a bunch of bruises. I heard stories about how Hiiragi was able to knock this one guy out with a single punch. She's pretty strong"

Miyuki sweatdropped. _In truth, it doesn't take a lot of strength to knock someone out. Really, it's all in the execution of the punch._ She thought. _And technically, Kagami __didn't punch him, but __accidentally elbowed __the__ guy at just the right angle to knock him out... Though I don't really think it matters at this point..._

"I'm more surprised that you're not mad at Kagami-san for getting into a fight in the first place"

The teacher shrugged. "Hey, fights happen. At least no one got seriously injured." She sighed. "Besides. Hiiragi's going through a lot, and I'm partly to blame..."

That piqued Miyuki's interest. Glancing around, she saw that it also caught Akira's attention. Looking back to Sakuraba, she forced herself to ask. "If I may, what do you mean you're partly to blame?"

Sakuraba sat down on a nearby chair and sighed once more. "If I recall correctly, Hiiragi went here last Saturday? None of her classmates showed up. It was a big problem. I expected her to be able to resolve it and made it a point to tell her that..." She scowled. "I suppose it was a wrong move to make that comment. I didn't think she'd crack if couldn't live up to my expectations..."

_... I don't think this was the sole cause of Kagami falling off the edge... But it's possible it was the last nudge she needed to tip over..._

Miyuki looked at Sakuraba's face. It was unapologetic. She knew exactly what she had done. Perhaps she disliked what became of her actions but Miyuki could see that she had resolved herself to what she had done. And yet, Miyuki felt strangely offended.

_I may be disrespectful in asking this, but why are you not more affected by this? True, you may not be entirely to blame, but you still had a big part in what Kagami has gone through - and is still going through. The way you're acting makes it seem like you don't care about her._

Sakuraba chuckled quietly. "You're right..."

Miyuki blinked. She did not realize she had said that aloud. While she mentally berated herself for letting her thoughts slip out, she didn't regret speaking out. She was going to say something in that manner anyway. Still, Sakuraba actually agreeing with her statement offended her even more. The pinkette didn't quite understand why she felt so strongly about it but she did.

"So... why? Why aren't you more affected by this?"

"I'm sure you already know my stance on this, but I'll tell you anyway." Sakuraba solemnly closed her eyes and frowned. "What's done is done. You can't change the past so why get worked up about it?" He words were short and sharp. Sharp enough to cause Miyuki to flinch. "You think I don't have regrets? You're wrong. I'm sorry for doing that to Hiiragi - deeply sorry. The problems is: How exactly do you want me to _show _that I'm sorry?"

The question bit. Miyuki didn't know the answer and that bothered her. It bothered her like she couldn't imagine.

"Do you want me to show her that I pity her? Do you want me to be walking on eggshells around her? You know as well as I do that doing that is the last thing she needs to make a recovery. Hiiragi can only get back on her feet if she believes she can do it." Sakuraba stood and looked Miyuki in the eye. "I believe she can bounce back from this. I know she can. And the way I act about this is how I show her." She said with finality. She turned and began walking away. "I know you care about Hiiragi but maybe you should rethink how you're going about this..."

Miyuki stood there, speechless. What could she say? There were a number of things she had assumed, most of which she really should have put more thought into. That Sakuraba was making light of the situation? That was false. That she didn't care? That was false as well. It was all too shameful for Miyuki to bare.

Miyuki felt a hand touch her fists clenched on her lap. Looking up, she saw Nurse Amahara looking at her with a look of reassurance.

"Don't let it eat you up. Hikaru is blunt and unapologetic by nature but she's got the best of intentions." Amahara smiled. "She tries to help, but she's completely objective with these things. She'll tell you what you need to know, but in the process, she'll hurt you." She stood bowed slightly. "Hikaru didn't mean to make you feel bad. I apologize her behalf."

Miyuki bit her lip. "No, it's alright..." She whispered. "She was right... she was right about a lot of things - things I was too biased to take into account. Don't apologize. I should be the one saying sorry." Miyuki stood and bowed as well.

The two raised their heads and looked at each other. Nurse Amahara smiled and nodded. Miyuki did the same. With that, the nurse left the two alone, leaving one last word in before walking out of earshot.

"Try not to worry so much. Things will work out in the end..."

The words rang in Miyuki's ears. They were, in essence, the same words Miyuki had told Kagami all those months ago. _There's no need to rush..._ She heard her own voice echo in her mind. _Kagami will recover at her own pace.__ If she can bounce back, she will_. Miyuki thought closing her eyes. _And Miss Hikaru Sakuraba is the one who made me realize that..._

The pinkette sat down, and sighed. She turned to see Akira looking at her curiously. "What?"

"So..." She croaked. "What's the deal with this Hiiragi girl?"

Miyuki looked down and sighed once more. Leaning forward, she picked up one of the tea cups and took a sip. The heat burned her tongue but she chose to ignore it - the calm it brought her more than compensated. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and then exhaled. She looked back at Akira and nodded.

"This won't be the whole story since there are somethings that are better told by Kagami herself, but I'll get you up to speed."

**LUCKY STAR**

"That's... that's very disheartening..." Ayano commented.

It took both Konata and Tsukasa a lot of effort to tell her exactly what was going on. But Ayano was Kagami's friend as well. She deserved to know. And so they told her.

Konata stood and began packing up. "Anyway, we should try to find Kagami. She's off somewhere making things seems so much worse than it actually is and I get the feeling that Misao can't snap her out of it"

Tsukasa nodded in agreement. "I just want to know if sis is safe."

The three made their way out the door and looked around for Masaru. Sure enough, he was nearby, talking with some familiar faces. They approached the group.

"Oi!" Konata called. "Kusakabe! Having a fun little chat?" The said boy turned to face Konata. With him was Yutaka, Minanami, and Minoru. "And as for you guys, are you busy? We've got something we need help with"

"Hi, Onee-chan." Yutaka greeted. "Sorry, but we're sort of helping Minoru look for someone named Akira."

Ayano looked at the shorter girl curiously. "Akira?" Bowed slightly and introduced herself. "I'm Ayano Minegishi. The Akira you're talking about doesn't happen to be-"

Minoru cut her off and answered. "N-no, it's not your sister. It's... well..."

"Don't worry, we know who it is." Konata assured her. "Well, looks like you've got your work cut out for you. We're trying to find Kagami. Did either of you two notice where she went?" After a moment of looking questioningly at each other, they concluded that, no, they haven't seen Kagami. Konata sighed in defeat. "I was hoping you knew. Oh well."

Minami raised her hand and spoke. "May I make a suggestion?" Her voice was not loud but it caught everyone's attention. "Why don't we work together? We can cover a greater area in a shorter amount of time if one group searches one place and the other searches a different place. If we happen to find who the other group is looking for, we can call and tell them."

"Hmm... that's a good idea" Minoru said "You guys willing to work together?"

"Hey, I'm up for it", "Okay", "I agree", and "I don't really have a choice in this" were Konata, Tsukasa, Ayano, and Masaru's answers respectively.

With a mutual agreement, Minoru's group set out to search the area of the auditorium while Konata's group searched the ground floor of the main building.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami sat, crouched in an alcove near the cafeteria. The space was originally meant for a vending machine that was never installed. Instead, it held the tsundere, as it did a number of times before. It wasn't the first time she sat there, nor did she feel like it was the last.

It was dark in the place she was sat in. It was dark and cramped. In any other situation, she'd find it uncomfortable at best and claustrophobic at worst. But with the way things were, she welcomed the darkness of the hallway and the smallness of the niche. It was quiet, and comforting, and far from the eyes of those who would judge her.

There, she sat, nursing her wounds. Wounds that she knew she had but didn't feel. She was numb. She was so achingly numb that the bruises were a welcome sensation when she had received them. She was almost disappointed when the pain from the blows eventually dulled.

Leaning on the wall next to her was Misao, quietly humming a tune from an anime Kagami once watched with her. The tsundere took solace in her presence. There was little the brunette could have done to help and yet she still tried. That alone made Kagami happy. The fact that she remained at her side even then made her only happier.

And yet, her joy was far overshadowed by the immense feelings of inadequacy she felt. The weight of her failure pressed down on her, threatening to crush her. The burden she was not able to bear. The shame. She hated it. She hated it all. She hated her classmates for abandoning her; She hated her teacher for putting all responsibility on her; She hated everyone for all the expectations they had of her; and most of all, she hated herself.

_Why do I think this!? Why do I keep thinking this!? Why must I be so negative!?_ She thought. _Why did I accept these responsibilities!? Why did they have such high expectations of me!? Why did I try to meet them!? Why did I fail!? Why do I even care that I failed!? Why do I blame myself for everything wrong to happen in my life!? Why!? WHY!? WHY!?_

Every question was answered by the very same voice in her head that asked them. Answers lead to more questions, the questions lead to more answers. She couldn't take it. She wanted out. But she couldn't stop. Not now. Not ever. It seemed like she'd spiral out of control until she eventually crashed.

One thing kept her going. It was stupid and cliche, but the fact remained - it kept her going. Something she knew she didsn't deserve. Something she still struggled to accept. Something she never dreamed of having and yet she still had it. It was Misao's love.

It wasn't the passionate, romantic love she sometimes received from the fanged girl. No, it was the warm and soothing love she had always received from Misao. The same love she received from her friends. The love that said "Hey, you're important to me. I care for you. I'll do everything I can be there when you need me". The love that made her feel she belonged.

_My friends... they all give me that love... all of them... and yet... why does Misao's feel so much stronger...? It's not like they care less about me than Misao does... So... why...?_ The answer took a long time to come but it came eventually. _It's because it's not the same kind of love... It feels the same, but it's different... It's not more and not less than everyone else's... It's because it's her's._

Kagami closed her eyes. She could no longer cry but she dearly wished that she could. As she hugged her legs, a smile formed on her lips. It wasn't happy, but it wasn't sad either. It was a smile of acceptance.

_I have responsibilities. I have things that are expected of me. And failure is a possibility. It will happen whether I want it to or not. But I know Misao will be there. I know everyone will be there. They won't judge me when I fall. They'll be right there to help me get back up. And I think I'm finally ready to try..._

As she stood up, uncertainty remained looming over her head. She knew this wouldn't be the last time she'd lose her grip. She felt guilty for putting everyone through so much. So very guilty. And she knew she'd end up dragging them through the same thing all over again.

_What's past is past... I can't change it. I've finally let it go - or at least I think I did. But the future... I know I'll just be a burden to them again..._ She frowned. _I don't want to be alone but I keep isolating myself. And as much as I try to stand on my own, I can never do it... I don't want to be alone but I might end up alone anyway. These attacks... They're tearing me apart... they're putting a strain to my friendships... I don't want this anymore... But they're still with me, at least for now... For that, I'm grateful..._

She walked forward, leaving the recess she had been hiding in. She looked back and smiled at Misao. "I think I feel a bit better now..." She whispered. "Not good... but better"

Misao stared at her wide eyed. She twitched. Slowly, her mouth formed a smile. Kagami saw the mix of emotions on Misao's face as she mouthed words that made no sounds. Slowly but surely, tears began trickling down her cheeks.

"I've missed that smile so much..." Misao croaked. She jumped forward and gave her girlfriend the tightest hug she had ever given her. "Kagami! I'm so sorry!"

"M-Misao..." The tsundere stuttered the name in confusion. She chuckled quietly "Why are you apologizing...?"

"I...I tried to help... I swear I did... I just... I didn't try hard enough... and... and..."

Kagami returned the embrace, pushing Misao's head into her shoulder. Her face was wet and the tears soaked into her clothes. It was warm. It was so warm. "Shhh... It's okay" Kagami whispered. "I'm sorry too... I wish I never put you through so much..."

"Kagami... I love you... I love you so much... just... Kagami..."

"Shhhh... It's okay... _I'm_ okay... at least for now" Kagami closed her eyes only to feel her cheeks dampen. Her touched her fingers to her face, realizing that she was crying too. A soft chuckle escaped her as she tightened the embrace. "I love you too..."

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata pushed the nurse's office door open, feeling very much sure that they'd find _someone_ there. Sure enough, a person they were looking for was there. They walked inside the office and looked around. It didn't take long for them to find Akira and Miyuki, sitting on a bed, looking somber.

"Ey, Miyuki, Kogami. Just the people we we're hoping to find" Konata said as she walked towards them "Well, not exactly who we're looking for, but you're on the list"

"Oh... Konata-san. Hello" "Hey..." Their response was subdued.

Konata raised her eyebrows at their reply. It wasn't said in a tone she expected to hear. It was worrying. Looking back to Tsukasa, she had a similar look of mild worry on her face as well. Another worrying thing was Akira's face. It was covered with cuts and bruises.

_Did she get in a fight?_

She decided to ask and find out. "So... what happened to you?" She addressed the salmon haired girl. "That gash on your cheek looks bad. I don't think you got those injuries from falling down the stairs..."

Akira narrowed her eyes at Konata before looking away. "If you must know, your little tsundere friend attacked me." She said in mock innocence.

"Really now?" The bluenette deadpanned.

She was skeptical at best. To be sure, she glanced at Miyuki, hoping the bespectacled beauty could confirm or deny the statement. To Konata's displeasure, Miyuki winced and looked away, refusing to make eye contact. That was all the confirmation Konata needed.

She sighed. "Well... I can't say I'm not surprised. Kagami _can_ get violent sometimes..."

Then Tsukasa suddenly walked towards Akira and spoke to her, startling everyone. "Kogami-chan... please... what's the whole story...?"

Konata stared at Tsukasa for a few seconds before moving her gaze to everyone else. Ayano had her hand covering her mouth, possible in shock at Tsukasa asserting herself; Masaru looked on with mild disinterest; and Miyuki still sat, clenching her hands on her lap, face in a slight grimace. As for Akira herself... She didn't seem to be able to meet Tsukasa's eyes. The guilt was obvious. She wasn't telling the truth - and if she was, it wasn't all of it.

Konata shook her head to clear her head. As Akira gave in and let Miyuki tell the story, Konata excused herself from the group. _There's time to listen in to the story later. We promised to call the others if we found Akira - and we did find her._ She pulled out her phone and began dialing Yutaka's number.

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka and company had traversed most of the area in and around the auditorium. There was nothing of interest to them there so they crossed out that area from their search list. Having finished searching one location, they moved to search the next one, which was the second floor of the main school building.

As the three made their way to their destination, Yutaka attempted to make small talk.

"So this Akira person. What's your relationship with her?" Yutaka asked Minoru.

"Well...I... I'm her manager..."

"...O-okay...?"

Yutaka could tell that there was something more to it than that. She knew it wasn't right to pry, but she was so curious. It didn't help that Minami didn't approve of prying either. With a glace at the mint haired girl, Yutaka saw Minami shake her head slightly, as if dissuading her from continuing her friendly prodding.

Of course, the taller girl's efforts were in vain as Minoru ended up talking about it anyway.

"Well... manager in title... We're actually a whole lot closer than most people realize..." He said

"What do you mean?" Yutaka asked

"Akira... she... I... We met maybe three years ago" He began. "She was a lot like she is now, though maybe not quite as... I don't know... aggressive? abrasive? Something along those lines. She was a lot less honest with her feelings."

Yutaka couldn't help but smile. She met several people who weren't honest with their feelings - Kagami herself was one of those people. She knew they were difficult to be around with, but it was a wonderful thing to know that Minoru has stuck with Akira for three years.

"I don't remember the details, but it was during an interview with the radio station I work at that we met." Minoru chuckled. "Back then, she was always smiles and sunshine. You have no idea how much she hated acting like that."

"Why did she change?"

"I don't know. We just stayed with each other for a few months and before I knew it, she was always acting rude and snarky." Minoru chuckled. "If I'll be honest, I prefer her that way."

"She must be really important to you..."

"She's like the little sister I never had."

With an unbelievable amount of good timing, right as the two finished their conversation, Yutaka's phone rang. Surprised at the sudden noise, the red head fumbled with flipping the phone open and looking at who had messaged her. Much to her delight, it was Konata, who had news of Akira's whereabouts.

"It's onee-chan. They've found Akira." Yutaka chimed. "She's at the nurse's office" Upon realizing where the girl was, Yutaka's smile faded. "Oh dear, she's at the nurse's office..."

**LUCKY STAR**

_Kagami... she must be hurt too..._

As Tsukasa and company walked the third floor halls of the school, in search for Kagami once more, the younger twin was distraught by the recent findings on what exactly was going in with Kagami. To think that the older twin had gotten into a fight. As violent as Kagami tended to get, she never outright tried to injure someone like she did with Akira.

_And how would it affect her? The fact that she did something like that... How would she react upon realizing it? Will she feel all the more shameful? Will she take pride in it? Will she ignore it?_ As those questions swirled in the messy soup of thoughts in that head of lavender hair, a voice was whispering to her. It didn't sound like hers, yet she knew it came her. _Maybe all of this isn't a big deal? Maybe I'm just over thinking things? Why should I even care?_

Tsukasa closed her eyes tightly and exhaled. She emptied her lungs as much as she could, and then took in a deep breath. She held it in for a few seconds before releasing it all slowly. _Calm down..._ She told herself.

As Tsukasa relaxed, she opened her eyes only to realize she was in front of the group. While she was in her daze, Konata was guiding her, pushing her left or right when needed, keeping her from just walking aimlessly. Tsukasa smiled and began walking on her own.

"Thanks, Kona-chan..."

Konata quickened her pace so that she and Tsukasa were walking side by side. The shorter girl looked up at her side and smiled as well. "What are friends for?"

"Ladies, give me your attention, maybe?" The three heard Masaru behind them. The turned to face him. A few paces behind the three girls, the boy stood, looking out the window. "I think our missing person just left the school..." He said boredly

The three rushed for the windows. Sure enough, the saw Kagami and Misao exiting the gate.

"They're probably heading for the station. C'mon" Konata said as she grabbed hold of Tsukasa's hand and ran towards the stairs. Ayano clenched onto Masaru's wrist and followed, dragging the boy behind her by the arm.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Well, I hate that you got those bruises but you certainly deserved them"

The nurse's office was particularly crowded when Minoru and company arrived at the scene. As he inspected Akira's injuries, Miyuki explained to him what happened. Yutaka and Minami excused themselves, shortly after the story finished. Akira sat there and just scowled at Minoru.

"You make it sound like I'm the one who caused it" Akira said in mock innocence. "_Besides, __the bitch __was asking for it._"

"Yes, you _did _start it." Minoru grumbled, flicking Akira's forehead. "And that's beside the point. You're lucky none of the teachers saw you. You'd have been in big trouble if you did."

"_Yeah yeah._"

"So why did you do it, anyway?" Minoru asked. "I know you have a bad temper but you never get that violent… at least not with others…"

"_I was provoked…_" Akira muttered, looking away. She didn't expound.

"Whatever. I'm just glad you're okay." Minoru smiled. Akira smiled back

Miyuki stood and bit farewell. "I suppose I'll leave you two for now. Goodbye for today."

Minoru stood and held out his hand "Thanks Takara-san. You've been a great help. See you."

"Anything for a friend." Miyuki grasped the hand and they shook. "See you"

When Miyuki finally left the room, Minoru turned to see Akira glaring at him. "What's wrong?"

"_I don't like her…_"

"You jealous or something?"

With a blush, Akira looked away. "_No…_"

Minoru chuckled. "Just keep telling yourself that"

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao held Kagami's hand as they waited. Around them was a calm aura of silence – very odd considering they were at a train station. This could be directly tied to the fact that, odder still, the station was empty.

When they had arrived, little could be said between them. Sure, Kagami was definitely more positive – no amount of words could describe how happy and relieved Misao was by that fact – but, as she had stated before, she wasn't back on her feet yet. The pony tailed girl was still radiating waves upon waves of hate and frustration but they were slowly subsiding. That was enough for Misao.

So they sat, enjoying the quiet. Misao was doing her best not to fidget in her seat – she didn't want to ruin the moment, but her body was pleading, nigh, demanding that she do some laps around the platform; or push ups; or jumping jacks; or something! Something physical. Something to burn off some of the energy she still had left.

The body was ready, but the mind was unwilling. Misao was, believe it or not, exhausted. Not physically – it'd take a lot for her to get physically tired. Just ask the track team. No, she was emotionally drained – sucked dry by five entire days of putting up with Kagami's brooding.

_'Putting up' feels a bit harsh. It makes it feel like I don't want to be with her, and that's the opposite of what I want. I want to cuddle up to her and say it would be all right. I want her to be happy..._ Misao bit her lip. _My problem is that nothing I say will make a difference. I try to calm her down when she's having one of those attacks __but__ somehow it ends up becoming worse. It never used to do that…_ Misao bit harder. _I was so proud of myself before. Being able to snap Kagami out of it, being able to stop it before it even started. I was so stupid. I knew it'd come back eventually but I got used to it. It was all daily routine back then. But when it did come back, it was something new, something worse, something I couldn't stop. In the end, it was Kagami __herself __who ended up stopping it, and even then, it took her a__n entire__ week._ Blood started dripping from her mouth where her fang had pierced her skin.

Much the her surprise, her hand felt a tight squeeze before it was pulled to her side – towards Kagami. The lavender haired girl then leaned in and planted her lips onto Misao. To even more surprise, Kagami pushed her tongue in through the gap in her lips, probing the inside of her mouth before exiting slightly and sliding over the lips themselves. The brunette's heart skipped a beat as she relaxed and gave Kagami full control.

Whatever confusion Misao had over Kagami's actions were made clear when she felt the tsundere's tongue linger over the bite wound on her lower lip. The pony tailed girl pulled away and immediately brought out a handkerchief, rubbing Misao's lip and dirtying it with blood.

"You were spacing out." Kagami explained in her all too tired fashion. "You ended up biting through your lip…"

Misao chuckled. apologetically. "Heh. Sorry about that…"

"How could you bite a hole into your mouth and still not notice." Kagami said with a pout as she pocketed her handkerchief once more. The bleeding had stopped, thankfully.

"This isn't the first time this happened so I'm pretty much used to it…"

"I don't want you hurting yourself, Misao…" Kagami said, in barely a whisper. "I don't want _anyone _to be hurting themselves. I do it all the time and I know how bad it is… I don't want anyone to feel the way I do…"

"Kagami…"

Tears didn't fall. They couldn't. Neither Misao nor Kagami had the energy left in them to cry. But they still felt the need – the intense reactionary impulse – to cry.

"Kagami… I can't stop… I can't stop until you stop…" Misao said. "I know you're on your way to getting better… but tell me the truth. Can you guarantee that you won't fall back down again…? No you can't. You'll end up hurting yourself again… and you'll end up shoving me away again…"

"Misao…"

"I want to help you, Kagami. That was all I wanted. I wanted you happy. I wanted you to smile. But whatever I tried, I couldn't get you to do that. I felt so useless." Misao stood and walked towards one of the support pillars and punched it as hard as she could. The wall didn't budge but there was definitely a red smudge on the wall. She must have scratched her knuckles. Yet Misao took no notice of the additional injury she sustained. She was too frustrated. "I can only help you if you let me… why didn't you let me… why didn't you want to get better… I don't understand!"

"Misao… I… I don't know what to say…" Kagami's voice was small. Barely audible.

"It's because she isn't you."

A new voice echoed through the empty station. Footsteps of at least four people soon followed. Kagami and Misao turned towards the stairs where the voice originated from. Masaru was slowly making her way down, with Ayano, Konata, and Tsukasa following behind.

"She isn't someone that gets back even though they have an injured leg. She isn't someone who could just take whatever life throws at her and throw it back. She isn't like you."

"Masaru…" Misao growled

"Your problem is that you won't give up. You won't let things play out they way they normally would. You want everything to match your pace. Well it won't and it never will."

"… Shut up!" Misao yelled

"Masaru, please…" Ayano pleaded.

"Get it through your thick skull: She's not gonna bounce back just because you tell her to."

"SHUT UP!" Misao charged the boy right as he took his last step from the stairs

Konata was quick as lightning, darting from behind Masaru and jabbing Misao right in the solar plexus. The brunette collapsed onto the floor right in front of Masaru, mere seconds before she could tackle him down the stairs. Konata then twisted her arm and pinned her down. Misao struggled for a few seconds before settling down.

"That was too much, Masaru…" Ayano said. "You didn't have to antagonize her!"

"It was what she needed to hear and no one wanted tell her." He said dryly. He knelt down and looked at his sister. "Life doesn't always work the way you want."

Ayano kicked the boy's side. "Masaru, you… you…" She kicked him again. "Why do you do this to her!? She's your sister!" She kicked him again. And again. And again. Kagami and Tsukasa pulled her back. She thrashed around with all her might. "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Stop this. All of you…" Kagami said, voice quiet yet sharp, tightening her grip on Ayano. "Stop this… I'm sorry… all of you, I'm sorry… I was the cause of this… I never wanted this… I'm sorry…"

"… And he's right…" Misao muttered, still pinned down by Konata. Misao relaxed into Konata's hold and Konata let go. "… Damn it, he's right…" Misao sat up.

"Yes… I am…" Masaru wheezed as he tried to get up. He clutched his side and looked in annoyance at Ayano. "Coulda kicked me with a little less force, you know?" Ayano glared at him. "Oh don't give me that look. I'll accept that the first one was justified but I did not deserve the four other kicks you gave me." He addressed the twins "Ladies, please let go of my girlfriend."

Hesitantly, the two Hiiragis let go of Ayano. Immediately, the girl walked forward and slapped Masaru.

"Okay, uncalled for." The boy put rubbed his cheek and frowned at Ayano. "You done?"

"Yes. I think I've calmed down now…"

"Alright. Let's chill out and talk about this, okay?"

**LUCKY STAR**

After receiving a call from Konata, they learned that the bluenette and company had found Kagami. In a nutshell, they learn Konata and company had gotten into an argument with Kagami and Misao, or at least that's how Konata had described it – Yutaka knew she was lying but didn't comment on it. It took a bit of time, and a lot of going in circles, but eventually they agreed to shelf the matter until they were more mentally and emotionally prepared.

"At least they found her." Yutaka said in relief. Minami nodded in agreement.

The two had stayed at the school for at least an hour longer. They had pretty much done all there was to do at the festival over the course of the week so they had spent most of that time wandering. Feeling that they had nothing left to do, they decided to leave.

On their way to the station, the road was relatively silent. The sporadic honking of cars in the distance and the constant drone of engines inherent to the city could still be heard, but the walk was otherwise calm.

"Yutaka… Would you like to go to my house tomorrow?" Minami asked meekly.

The red head felt the tightening of Minami's hand around her own. "Is something wrong, Minami?"

She shook her head. "Yukari-san would like to talk to you." She said "Don't worry. It won't be like that last time you were there…"

"It's okay, Minami, I trust you…"

The mint haired girl nodded, a small smile on her face. "I trust you as well"

**LUCKY STAR**

**Happy Singles Awareness Day, everyone! Or Valentine's Day if you want to be mainstream.  
**

**Much of this chapter was done within a week after the last release, however, I hit a road block with two things: Tying up loose ends for Kagami's arc, and the setting up the next arc.  
Kagami's section was finished on a particularly bad day for me in real life. I suppose it was a good thing as I feel it has the impact I wanted it to have which it would otherwise not have if I wrote it on a good day.  
Yutaka and Minami's sections have become a particularly difficult thing for me to write, mostly because of Yutaka. I am not sure how I'm supposed to go about developing her since much of her plot and development was caused by the adults in the story.  
That last part with the fight with Masaru was a disaster. I am not at all happy with how it went. Hopefully I'll be able to redeem it with the arc it set up.  
Minoru's section was the the part I last wrote. I literally gave up and just typed down the events as they happened. It was written hours before the release  
As for the rest of the fic, it wasn't much to talk about. I wrote it within the week after the last chapter while listening to _"_****_Courage to tell a lie_****" on repeat for several hours.**

**Wow, this is a really long end note...  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. I'll see you next chapter. I've got the next arc set up and I'm excited for it, I hope you're excited too.  
**


	30. Well now what?

**Well, surprise, surprise. This chapter was actually released on schedule for once. And it's even 6k words. I certainly feel proud about that.**

_**Well... now what?**_

**LUCKY STAR**

The sun was partially hidden by clouds that Saturday morning. Said clouds left large shadows traveling parallel to the streets, contrasting greatly to the patches illuminated by the rays of light. As Yutaka arrived at her destination, one such shadow was cast over it. The darkness over the Iwasaki estate did not sit well with her – her already apparent apprehension was further worsened. Still, she trusted Minami. Whatever she had to face in there, she knew she wouldn't be alone. Thus, she walked forward, from the side walk towards the front door, stepping past the boundary of sun and shadow.

Her knock on the door was met with silence. Not the calm quiet she was used to but a tense one – perhaps caused by her current emotional state. Thankfully, she stood in silence for only a moment as the door was soon opened by none other than Minami Iwasaki.

The red head smiled. Her dashing prince stood before her, welcoming her to the castle. She giggled. Weirdly enough, that image wasn't hard to imagine. She could almost see the golden circlet on Minami's head as she offered her hand in welcome. The thought brought pleasant feelings.

Minami stared curiously. "What is funny?"

"Well… I don't know… It feels as if you're a prince welcoming his princess to his castle."

Minami smiled as well. "Perhaps I am. The similarities are certainly there." She gestured for Yutaka to enter. "A good morning to you, Yutaka."

"Good morning, Minami" Yutaka chimed.

Whatever nervous tension she felt had flowed away by the mere exchange of words with her most loved. Few things made her feel happier than knowing that Minami was there for her. And in that moment they exchanged those good mornings, she knew that Minami was very much _there_. Whatever she had to face inside the house, she wasn't alone. Thus, she walked forward, past the threshold, into the fray she feels she must fight.

**LUCKY STAR**

The Hiiragi household was experiencing its usual Saturday quiet calm. At that time, Matsuri was still at college, probably sleeping in class; Inori was helping Tadao tend to the shrine – they'd probably be working until lunch; and Miki was cooking their meal, set to finish not long after noon. Kagami and Tsukasa were in the living room, working on their homework, enjoying the silence that the household was in.

"So, does your wrist still hurt?" Kagami asked

The question threw Tsukasa off. She was in the middle of solving a particularly convoluted trigonometry problem when she heard her sister's voice. The problem was shoved aside by the question she only heard but didn't understand and the question was shoved back by the problem whose solution she had just about figured out but was now suddenly a jumbled mess. The confusion led to Tsukasa looking at her twin with a blank stare before smiling.

"Eh?"

Kagami looked between her sister and her sister's homework and most likely deduced that she had broken her sister's concentration. She sighed and apologized. "Sorry about that. Your wrist. Does it still hurt?"

Tsukasa blinked and looked at her right hand. She began moving it slowly, doing steady turning motions. The pain wasn't as apparent as it was last week. And, taking into consideration that she was able to act in the play yesterday with out any problems, she was well on the way to recovery. Granted, she was mostly just doing large arm gestures because the audience would be able to see small movements, but still.

"It hurts, but not as much as it did last Saturday."

Kagami nodded and returned to her work.

Tsukasa frowned. For the longest time, Kagami had been acting very closed off. She wasn't eating as much, even when it was food that she liked. She didn't watch game shows with the rest of the family after dinner anymore. She was even having trouble getting to sleep – Tsukasa would wake up in the middle of the night and could hear her sister pacing the floor in the neighboring room. Even worse, she had little to no energy. Getting up in the morning seemed like the hardest thing in the world for her – her attempts to sit up on her bed lead to her falling off it, and her attempts to stand up were met with a lot of stumbling back down, all of which done in a very sluggish manner. And in the previous week, all of that had gotten even worse

_I'm worried about sis… _Tsukasa thought as she turned back to her homework. _I've been worried for weeks now. I wish I could do something…_

Tsukasa could not concentrate on her work. She had to get away from Kagami for a bit. The waves of negativity that the pony tailed girl was radiating were starting to affect Tsukasa. She didn't blame her sister. Tsukasa knew that Kagami couldn't help but feel what she felt. So she simply stood and excused herself, leaving the room and entering the kitchen.

"Good morning, Tsukasa" Miki greeted over the hissing of the chicken stir-fry she was cooking.

"Morning, mom" Tsukasa replies, sitting at the table.

They stayed in relative silence until Miki finished cooking. Tsukasa simply watched. The two had recently begun doing this – working quietly while the other watched – and both mother and daughter found that it was pleasant to be in each other's company while they did so. Tsukasa most especially, as, other than the times when Miki taught her the basics of cooking all those years ago, she had not had that much time alone with her mother.

Miki had a certain skill at cooking, visible from the grace in which she prepared their meal. Even a simple stir fry looked elegant as she made it. Tsukasa was pretty sure she had inherited those skills as she herself was similarly good at cooking. She wasn't at her mother's level quite yet, though. Despite her own experience at the culinary arts, Miki was still just a little bit better. Tsukasa felt that she'd only become as skilled as Miki after a few years more of practicing.

The food was prepared and Miki transferred it onto the plate, placing said plate on the table and covering it. Lunch was ready. All that was needed now was for the other members of the Hiiragi family to arrive.

Miki sat at the table, next to Tsukasa. "So, Tsukasa, what's bothering you?" She asked with a reassuring smile. "Is it anything I can help with?"

Tsukasa thought for a bit. She had been struggling with Kagami for quite some time now, and Kagami had been struggling with herself for quite a lot longer. Taking it on by themselves was clearly not working out well. Maybe some outside help was just what they needed. Of course there's also the problem of Kagami's unwillingness to accept help. It took her nearly two months to accept her own girlfriend's love. Sure, Miki was her mother, but parental interference could be seen just as bad as the problem itself.

Tsukasa sighed and answered honestly. "I don't know…"

Miki nodded slowly. "I don't know if I can help her either…" She said wistfully

The daughter blinked. Miki had figured out what was bothering her. It was to be expected, though. She _was _their mother. "Nothing get's past you, does it, mom?"

"I try to be observant." Miki smiled sadly. "To tell you the truth, I think only a professional can help her. A therapist." She sighed "I'm just afraid of what they might do to her. I'm willing to let them do their job, but if it involves making Kagami take drugs, I'd rather we work on this on our own"

The thought of putting her sister on mood suppressing drugs made Tsukasa's stomach churn. She could admit that Kagami's mood swings were severe, but chemically changing her mood to be more favorable sounded even worse. It just didn't sit well with her.

_Maybe we're just looking at this the wrong way. I once heard from Yu-chan that prescriptions for this kind of stuff didn't outright change people's personality. It just allows people to function, whatever that means. Maybe it'll just make sure that Kagami doesn't feel any worse?_

Tsukasa was then snapped out of her daze when Kagami arrived from the living room. She looked okay, albeit bored. Following behind her was Matsuri, looking full of energy.

"Yo, family. Would you believe that I aced a test today?" Matsuri yelled cheerfully. "I can't believe it either."

"That's wonderful" Tsukasa and Miki replied with equal cheer. Kagami, however, said the same thing with a twinge of sarcasm.

"Hey, you act as it's a bad thing?" Matsuri grumbled at Kagami.

"…Sorry." Kagami sighed. "Congrats on the test" She muttered before taking her seat at the table.

Matsuri blinked as she stared at Kagami. She threw a questioning look at Tsukasa and Miki. The two could only smile sadly at the Hiiragi middle child. Matsuri was sufficiently sobered by their answer. She joined Kagami in sitting down. The other two followed suit and the four waited for eldest and patriarch to arrive.

**LUCKY STAR**

The cosplay cafe that Konata worked at was experiencing a calm before the metaphorical storm. It was mere minutes before the lunch rush hour and they were expecting a big turn out. After all, it was Saturday. The weekends _always _brought the most amount of people through their doors the moment lunch starts. But until then, the employees were having a little chat.

Konata wore a blue shirt and skirt, with white gloves, blue boots, and a long flowing white cape. Her midrift was exposed and held a blue gem, while her hair had a hair clip which was designed to look like music notes. Patricia wore a yellow sailor uniform, a beret, and knee-high boots. She wore her hair in twin drills and had a gem clipped at the base of one of them. Together, they sat at a table with Hiyori as the artist scribbled furiously at her sketchpad.

"So, how's the relationship going for you two?" Konata asked, sounding more bored than curious.

"You could say we reached a sort of disagreement" Patricia said in mock innocence.

This caught Konata's interest. She glanced at Hiyori who was still drawing, albeit drawing a lot more angrily than she was earlier. Whatever that disagreement was, Hiyori must have been the one who received the shorter end of the stick.

"And what exactly _is_ the disagreement about?" Konata asked Patricia

"I'd rather not say…" She answered cryptically.

Konata glanced back to Hiyori who looked up at her sketchpad. "I'm not talking if she isn't." She said before curtly looking back down and drawing with even more intensity.

Peering at the drawing, Konata saw a lot of blood and guts, and even more mechanical monstrosities devouring said blood and guts. As cool as it looked to the bluenette, it made her even more curious as to why Hiyori was so angry.

"What about you? You in the clear with the whole money problems" Patricia asked

Konata blinked. While she expected Patricia to move the topic to something not about them, she did not expect it to move to the subject of her financial position. Granted, her problems aren't as bad as it used to be – her dad's new job paid a lot, apparently – but it still wasn't something she was comfortable talking about. Then again, they were her friends. Why not, right?

"Well, dad got a new job. It actually pays pretty well. We aren't having that much trouble anymore"

"Oh! That's great" The two were genuinely glad that the bluenette's family was on their way back to a comfortable living situation.

Not that it was ever as uncomfortable as Konata made it out to be. A few months without anime and video games weren't all that bad. She and Yutaka were still eating alright thanks to Tsukasa and Minami, and, because of the need for her to save electricity, she was finally getting a good night's rest – no more raids with her mmo guild that lasted hours upon hours into the night.

Of course, she'd never say that. Regardless of the benefits she gained from her somewhat difficult monetary issues, anime and games were deeply woven into her life style. It took her literally months to adjust to not having any anime to watch or video games to play at any given moment. She was unwilling to say that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

That said, even though she and the rest of the Izumi household were finally in a position where they could go back to that way of life, the season they spent in their current lifestyle left them unable to go back.

Konata still wanted anime. She still wanted video games. She still wanted so much that she was unwilling to say that she was better off without it. Yet, she was presented with a chance to return to watching and playing as much as she wanted – to go back to her old way of life – and chose not to take it. And the chance was still there, like an open invitation of sorts. Why was she not accepting it? She did not know.

"So what kind of job IS it?" Hiyori asked, finally closing her sketchpad, discarding all of her drawings. Her works were strewn across the floor in crumpled and ripped pieces, most probably done to piss Patricia off. It was working

Konata eyed Hiyori with annoyance as she was sure Patricia would refuse to clean it up and it would fall on herself to pick them up and throw it to the trash – the blonde's smile-glare of murderous intent was a good indicator of that. Konata sighed and answered the question.

"What…" The two said.

Their response was as expected: disbelief of medium caliber – surprise but not complete disbelief. Konata sighed. Sometimes her friends were entirely predictable.

"So… what… is he some sort of prostitute?" Patty asked with incredible bluntness.

The bluenette frowned. Thinking back, hiring prostitutes actually costed _less_ than renting a man. Besides, prostitutes are for sex. The rent a man thing is for companionship, which, understandably, was severely lacking for a lot of people. Just up and calling a friend-for-hire a prostitute is like calling one of your actual friends a dirty whore. Still, Patricia probably didn't understand so Konata took the patience to educate her on the matter.

"Wow… I didn't know that was a thing here…"

"Me neither until this summer when I was helping dad get a job" Konata laughed. "I told him about it as a joke. I never thought he'd actually do it."

"Well, it does pay well." Hiyori commented.

"Hell yeah, it pays well" Patricia agreed enthusiastically. "Is there something like that for young women?"

"As opposed to middle aged men?" Konata asked with a chuckle. "I don't know. You're gonna have to go job hunting."

"Everyone, the customers are entering the building. Rush hour is here" From the door, a short girl in a black and white school uniform, with a red ribbon in her long flowing black hair and a round shield on her left arm called out. "Everyone get ready" She said with a troubled monotone

"Hiyori, you better go to the employee lounge. This is gonna be a lot of people" Patricia told the raven haired girl, to which said girl responded with a nod and walked off.

"That was sweet of you, Patty." Konata cooed.

"Yes. I try to be nice." Patricia replied, somewhat annoyed. "I sure hope she appreciates it"

"I'm sure she does. I hope you appreciate her, too" Konata slapped her cheeks and bounced on the balls of her feet. "ALRIGHT. Let's do this."

The doors opened and customers flooded in

**LUCKY STAR**

Inside Minami's room was Miyuki, sitting quietly on the bed, hands laid gently on her lap. Her eyes were aimed somewhere else – somewhere distant and unseeable. Her focus was directed inward, to half formed thoughts and ideas that so often plagued her mind – on that particular day, it was the _what ifs_ and _what to dos _for various scenarios she played out in her head. Yet, even in her day dream, Miyuki was completely aware of her surroundings – the first time she's ever managed to do that as she's normally too lost to notice reality. When the door opened, her eyes refocused and greeted the one who entered.

"Hello, Yutaka-san."

"Hello, Miyuki-senpai" Yutaka replied.

The red head's response was cheerful and enthusiastic, not that different from what it normally sounded like. But she still had that tension – that all too familiar tension – that she tended to have when staying at the Iwasaki and Takara estates. Yukari was regularly unpleasant with her so she and Minami ended up deciding it was for the best if Yutaka did not visit as often. Yutaka was inclined to agree. But now, maybe three weeks or so since the last visit, perhaps the red head was unsure as to what she was about to face and was, understandably, nervous. Miyuki knew, though, and it wasn't as bad as Yutaka assumed.

"So, do you feel nervous?"

Yutaka nodded shyly. "A bit…" She squeaked.

"Don't be. Rest assured, nothing bad will be happening later." Miyuki said with a reassuring smile. "Besides, I'm here and Minami is here. We'll be right by your side"

The red head smiled. "Thanks…"

Miyuki glanced at the mint haired girl who was standing between Yutaka and the door. "Say, Minami. Would you care for a short game? Checkers, perhaps?"

Minami tilted her head in thought. "I don't see why not…" She walked to the closet and rummaged for the checker board.

Miyuki then turned back to Yutaka. "Feel free to take a seat." She suggested with a slight chuckle. "Relax. The battle you think you'll be having isn't until later"

"Ah, yeah…!"

Yutaka quietly took a seat in the middle of the bed. Minami laid the board right next to Yutaka and sat opposite to Miyuki. The two began setting the pieces.

Miyuki eye smiled as she picked up her first piece. "Let the games begin."

**LUCKY STAR**

Lunch at the Kusakabe household was quiet. Perhaps the quietest it's ever been. The two grandparents had gone on a short visit to some of their nephews and nieces – Masaru and Misao's aunt and uncles – and would be gone for most of the weekend. The parents weren't home either. Thus, the three had the house all to themselves.

"So, you cooked this, Masaru?" Ayano asked after she swallowed the food she had been chewing. "This tastes like your cooking" The boy nodded with a grunt and continued eating. "It's really good" Another nod and grunt.

Ayano frowned. _Why won't he pay me any attention…? _She glanced at Misao who was shoveling rice and meat into her mouth, practically shredding it with the speed she ate. _And Misao won't pay me any attention either…_

As orange haired girl glanced between the two Kusakabes, she couldn't help but feel a certain disconnect. For the longest time, the three of them had been friends but very few times had they remained in any kind of silence like the one they were experiencing. It was possibly the worst thing Ayano had ever felt.

Misao stood up and excused herself, leaving Masaru and Ayano at the table. This was nothing new. They were quite used to Misao finishing first. What they weren't used to was the monotone "I'm done" she muttered as she left. They heard Misao deposit her dishes at the sink and then climb up the stairs. Each footstep, they listened to in silence. None of them ate or said a word until the faint sound of Misao's door closing triggered Ayano to release the breath of air she didn't even know she was holding in.

With a sigh, she continued picking at her food with her chopsticks.

"She missed practice this morning." Masaru muttered. Looking up from her food, Ayano met his gaze. He was still facing his plate but his eyes were looking boredly at the girl. "She slept in and missed track practice" He repeated.

Ayano frowned. "Oh…"

What was she supposed to say? She was surprised, certainly, but Masaru seemed to want something more – something else. He wanted a reaction. But again, what was she supposed to say? What did he _want _her to say?

"That's surprising…" Masaru gave her a look. "Well, what do you want me to say? I can't read your mind."

He grunted and went back to eating. His face was in a scowl as he chewed. Ayano could almost hear the things going through his mind. The things that were somehow created in the world inside Masaru's head always seemed to anger Ayano. They always felt like they were insults directed at her. It didn't help that he'd always plead guilty to her accusations of ill thoughts towards her, not that he ever outright stated it.

"For the longest time, you've been acting like you _can_ read my mind. I don't see why this would be any different." Masaru muttered. "You're doing it right now."

"Alright, Masaru. What is your problem?" Ayano asked, voice clear and sharp, gaining that familiar edge it had whenever she was keeping her temper in check. "Just tell me what the problem is. We've been dating for three years. How long will it be before you'll finally respect me enough to do that?"

Masaru retaliated. "About as long as it takes you to stop threatening me with violence when you don't get what you want."

"I am not violent!" Ayano yelled.

The boy sighed and looked at her with tired eyes. "Then everything you told me was just a lie? An empty threat?"

"No, just… Ahhhhhg!"

There was nothing much Ayano could do. She didn't want to hurt him, but it was very difficult for her to hold back. Masaru had a lot coming to him but she knew she'd end up going too far if she ever gave it to him. She remembered yesterday, when she had kidded him again and again. Masaru still had bruises. It was too much – far too much.

"What's the problem, Masaru…?" Ayano sighed in defeat.

"My problem is you. This relationship has reached its end and your the only one who's still trying to hold on. I'll still admit that I care about you, but this whole boyfriend thing is starting to get old."

"But… but I love you. We've been together for years. You can't just leave me"

"And I won't be – I'll be right here, not going anywhere. And I love you to, just not _that _way." He put down his chop sticks and stood up. "My question is, do _you _love me in that way? Think hard on that and maybe the solution to your little problem will present itself."

"What problem!?"

"Exactly." he walked away with a lazy salute. "Excuse me"

"What problem…?" Ayano asked again as she glumly looked at her food. Alone she sat at the table, in an empty and quiet house. "What problem…?"

**LUCKY STAR**

The blond head of Nanako Kuroi opened the door and was greeted with an energetic smile and hello by the ocean blue head of Yui Narumi. The history teacher had called the traffic officer to visit and sometime, and so there they were at the door to Kuroi's apartment, exchanging pleasantries.

"You have a guest in there? I think I can hear someone" Yui said, peering inside, somewhat curious.

"Why don't ya come in and find out?" Kuroi threw an arm over the bluenette's shoulder and pushed her inside. "Ain't everyday that I have friends over, so I hope you forgive the mess. Anyway, I want to introduce you to someone you already know."

"Already know?"

Yui was one of the few friends Kuroi had that was within her age group. Well, one of the few that she's actually met in real life. All the others are either her students, i.e. a lot younger, or people she had only met online, i.e. people she hasn't met in real life. It was really a shame. Back in college, she was a bit of a party animal. Any gathering was a lot more fun when she was around. Not that it amounted to much – none of her friends from college stayed for long. Yui, however, wasn't a college friend, though she acted a whole lot like the ones she once had. She was simple, and a bit childish, but those qualities were extremely endearing to Kuroi. She found a lot of amusement in watching the bluenette's reactions to the various tall tales she spun whenever the two went out to drink. Speaking of reactions, the way she reacted to Kuroi's guest was extremely amusing.

"Uncle, what the heck are you doing here!?"

Sojiro Izumi sat at the table in front of the TV, a surprised look on his face. In his hands was a controller that was dropped onto the table in shock. "Yui…" He turned to Kuroi "The friend you were having over was my niece?"

Kuroi laughed. "Man, you should see the look on your faces. Both your reactions are priceless." She headed for the table. "Yui, c'mon and sit down. Watch as I whoop this geezer in Smash Brothers"

Sojiro looked at her, insulted. "Geezer? Alright, woman, it's on!" He picked up his controller, face filled with determination.

Yui just stood there, completely confused. "Isn't uncle supposed to be at work?" She mumbled.

"I _am _at work. Kurio-san's my client."

"… Oh."

**LUCKY STAR**

"I'll do the dishes" Honoka happily took all of the plates and utensils and brought them into the kitchen.

Lunch had been exactly as Minami had expected. Yutaka was nervous during the entire meal as she was still wary of Yukari. Likewise, Yukari was still nervous about how accepting Yutaka would be. The two had built up an aversion to each other over the course of four months and, now that they were on their way to reconciliation, they were hesitant to open up to each other.

Minami, despite experiencing the very same unpleasant vibes given off by the older pinkette, was not as aversed to Yukari as Yutaka saw. She did not know if she just built up a resistance or if it was because she had a better understanding of the situation at hand. Either way, she felt comfortable around Yukari now. Hopefully that feeling would transfer to Yutaka as well.

"First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for those months of… unpleasant behavior I put you through." Yukari said, voice somewhat shaken. She was obviously nervous.

Minami nodded silently. Her reasons were somewhat justified and she was genuinely sorry. The mint haired girl didn't hold it against her. Yutaka however…

"I… I don't know why but I'm having a hard time forgiving you…"

Minami glanced at the red head girl. The look of confusion and pain on her face was worrying – worsened by the way she gripped on Minami's hand under the table as tight as she could. That fact that she couldn't forgive Yukari doesn't seem to sit well with her.

"I don't know why… I just can't…"

Minami frowned. This was not going as planned. She did not expect that Yutaka could not forgive Yukari – not in a million years would she ever expect that. Yutaka seems just as surprised by that fact, if not moreso. She looked just about ready to break down.

"Yutaka…" What was Minami supposed to say? She didn't know. This was the first time this ever happened. "I… how…" She couldn't even begin to say what she had on mind.

Miyuki came to the rescue, so to speak. "If I may, Yutaka, but how are you right now? How do you feel?"

"I… I don't know… I'm…" She answered shakily.

"Confused, yes? We're right here Yutaka. Just let it all out." Miyuki stole a look at Minami as the pinkette held Yutaka's hand. Minami took the hint and scooted closer to Yutaka. "We're right here."

Yukari was also in a state of mild panic. First, her apology was shot down, and now, Yutaka was having what could be assumed to be a psychological break down. She did not expect what happened and she was far from prepared.

"I… I want to forgive her but… I just can't… Why…? I'm scared…"

"It's alright if you don't understand. You don't need to accurately describe it in words. Just let it all out." Miyuki whispered, gently rubbing Yutaka's head.

"I-I'm supposed to be able to forgive her… W-why can't I…? This is wrong… I don't like this…"

Miyuki and Minami's eyes met at the instance she stuttered that sentence. _That was it. The problem has presented itself to us._ Minami knew the exact thing to say.

"It's okay not to forgive someone. You don't need to…" Minami said softly. "You can forgive once you're ready. Til then, it's okay. It's never too late."

"But…"

"Think of Konata-senpai."

"Onee-chan?"

"Think of her." Minami pulled her into an embrace. "You told me she and her father are in bad terms right now. She still hasn't forgiven him"

"But… she said… she said she'd need a long time to forgive him…"

"How is that different from right now?"

Yutaka blinked. The tears in her eyes, so close to flowing down her cheeks, eventually faded. "Oh…" A simple syllable conveyed how she felt almost perfectly.

"Oh…?" Minami smiled and pulled Yutaka into an embrace. "Do you feel better now?"

"… a bit…"

Minami turned to Yukari who had turned white as a sheet. It was a bit concerning. "Are you okay…?"

"Yes. I'm just a bit faint hearted. I do not deal very well with stressful situations…" Yukari said, breathing deeply. She turned to Yutaka "You don't need to forgive me. If the time ever comes that you accept my apology, then I'd be grateful."

Yutaka nodded quietly.

_They're both still a little shocked. _Minami noted. _Thankfully, Miyuki managed to contain the situation before it got out of hand. __She was completely prepared for this._ She looked at said pinkette and shot her a questioning look _Why is that? _Miyuki eye smiled at her and tapped her forehead. _You've been thinking about this for a long time, haven't you?_ Minami closed her eyes solemnly. _You have my thanks, nee-san._

"Oh, Yukari, have you told her yet?" Honoka asked, walking into the room. Then she noticed the rather tense atmosphere – tenser than it was when she left. "What did I miss…?"

Minami glanced around. Yukari and Yutaka were still recovering and Miyuki seemed to be content just sitting quietly. The mint haired girl took that as the signal to speak.

"Ahem" With a cough, she got everyone's attention. "Now that Yukari has apologized, shall we proceed to talk about the reason Yutaka was brought here in the first place?"

The ones in the loop looked at each other – and the ones in the loop was everyone except Yutaka. Miyuki nodded. Honoka nodded. Yukari nodded. All of them nodded. Honoka walked towards the table and sat next to Yukari.

"Yutaka… Did you know that I once dated your mother?" Honoka asked.

A look of realization slowly dawned on the red head's face. "Wait… you mean…"

"You and Minami are the splitting image of Yuki and I."

"That's my mother's name…" Yutaka breathed.

"It made me a bit… nostalgic… so to speak." Honoka said, guilt lining the edge of her voice. "I began teasing Yukari like I did all those years ago. It was all in good fun. I didn't realize how much it was hurting her and, by proxy, hurting you." She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "So I apologize as well"

"Eh…?" Yutaka blinked. "… Okay…?"

Minami looked at Yutaka with concern. _She looks more confused than anything else. It's not a bad thing but it isn't exactly a good thing either. Let's just hope she can handle the next bit of information we'll be giving her._

"I'd also like to thank you as well"

"Wha…?"

"If it wasn't for you, I'd have never realized that Yukari still had lingering feelings for me." Honoka chuckled. "Even after all these years. I was certainly surprised."

"How do you think _I _feel?" Yukari cut in. "For the longest time, I thought I've gotten over you. Then you go and light my fire once more." She looked at the rest of the girls and shurnk back. "Sorry. Please continue…"

Honoka continued. "What surprised me even more if realizing that I still had feelings for Yukari as well."

"Uhhh…" Yutaka shook her head in confusion. "Please, this is a bit too much. Could I please have a glass of water first…"

Minami, quick as lightning, brought out a thermos of lukewarm tea and handed her a cup. This was not the first time Yutaka had required something to drink. At one point in the first trimester, after a particularly confusing history lecture, the redhead was suffering from a terrible headache. Minami took her to the nurse and she recommended a cup of tea. It worked before, and sure enough, it worked now.

"Thank you, Minami…" Yutaka said meekly. "…Now… Could you start from the top again? I might be able to understand now"

Miyuki gave a brief summary of what Honoka was talking about, from how Yukari and Honoka were once a couple to how Yutaka was related to the entire incident.

"…I… I never knew my mom dated girls…" Yutaka muttered, still somewhat lost in the situation.

Minami couldn't blame her. It was certainly a lot to take in. Her own mother once dating the mother of her current girlfriend? It was bordering on soap opera levels of absurdity. It was so unlikely that the mint haired girl didn't really believe it at first. Yutaka must have been experiencing the same kind of disbelief Minami herself had experienced.

"I'm also confused about this. You two love each other, right?" Yutaka asked the two adults.

Yukari and Honoka glanced at each other, both of them blushing somewhat.

"Yes, you could you that…" Honoka said, a bit hesitant and unsure.

"Yes, we love each other very much" Yukari said with conviction – in stark contrast to Honoka's answer.

Silence passed for maybe two beats. The two blinked and they realized what they just said, erupting in a brilliant blush.

"This feelings is quite exhilarating. It has been a long time since I've ever felt my heart beat like this…" Honoka commented, to which Yukari nodded quietly. Of the two, Honoka seemed to be the one more in control of her own emotions as Yukari was burying her face in her hands and taking deep breaths to calm herself.

Yutaka smiled and turned to Minami. The two adults were cute and the younger couple were in agreement at that fact. Yutaka then turned back to the two adults and asked another question.

"What about your husbands? Don't you love them too?"

The two sobered up quickly and another awkward silence passed. "Well…" Honoka began. "We _do_ still love them…"

"It gets a little complicated once you take our husbands into account…" Yukari explained.

Yutaka turned to Miyuki. The younger pinkette simply sighed and expounded on what they were saying. It was certainly interesting...

**LUCKY STAR**

**Hey, look! A chapter whose foci (plural of focus) are people who _aren't_ Kagami Hiiragi. Amazing, isn't it!? When was the last time that happened? Way back in chapter 6 and 7. Wow... Just... wow  
**

**Take a guess at what Ayano's problem is. I'm sure I sprinkled enough foreshadowing over the course of this fic for you guys to know what it is… Okay, maybe I may have needed to add bit more foreshadowing. Still...  
**

**Yutaka's arc is finally ramping up. I apologize to any and everyone who feels like that the last section with Minami had progressively gotten worse as the fic went on. I did my best, but I simply wasn't feeling it for that section. It's completely possible that it's not even all that bad and I'm the only one that thinks this, though…**

**Well, so ends one arc and so begins another. I'll see you next chapter  
**


	31. Light hearts don't stay that way

**Guys! A 7.6k word chapter, and it's on schedule again!  
And, good new: This chapter's a lot more lighthearted than the previous chapter. Unfortunately, _light hearts do not stay that way. _It's a sad truth, but nothing lasts forever.  
Enjoy if you can, and if you can't, I apologize.**

**LUCKY STAR**

That Friday afternoon, the autumn winds were blowing strongly. A thin layer of clouds covered the sky, traveling steadily from one end of the horizon to the other, like a blanket of white scrolling up above. Rain was unlikely, which boded well for the students ending their classes that day.

Ryoo's school bell resounded, marking the end of classes that day. In classroom 3-C, the students began packing up – some of them to go to their club rooms, others to go back to their homes. Very few students stayed behind – the students designated to clean the classroom, for example. Kagami Hiiragi, Misao Kusakabe, and Ayano Minegishi also stayed behind.

Returning from a brief talk with Ms. Sakuraba, Kagami sat down and laid her head on the table. "Finally, this day ends." She said in a celebratory deadpan

Ayano looked at her and pursed her lips. "You look tired." She noted.

"I feel tired." Kagami ran her hand through her pony tail, staring silently at the smooth wood of her desk.

"Well, you've got a weekend to relax." Misao reassured her. She joined in stroking Kagami's hair sighing softly as she did so. "You should get more sleep"

"I try… I try really hard…" Kagami groaned. Eventually she did end up relaxing. It must have been Misao, gently petting her head. She closed her eyes. "For some reason, I really have trouble getting to sleep at night. And once I do start feeling sleepy, the sun's already rising…"

Ayano smiled and raised her hand over Kagami. "May I?" She asked, glancing between Kagami and Misao. Misao gave her a nod so she began running her own hand through Kagami's hair as well. "Perhaps you should drink a warm glass of milk before you go to bed?" She suggested.

Kagami purred. She seemed to be really enjoying it. "I've tried that already. I doesn't work. I fall asleep and wake up in the middle of the night. After that, I can't get back to sleep…" She said as she raised her head, crossed her arms on the table, and then rested her chin on them. A smile slowly formed on her lips.

Ayano glanced up at Misao, noting how happy the brunette looked seeing Kagami smile. _Something about these two makes my heart ache unbearably…_ Ayano closed her eyes. _It's painful, but it feels so nice…_

Kagami's breathing was deep and steady, but her face was red and slowly she began trembling. "Nya…!" After a few more seconds of stroking her hair, Kagami jerked her head back, causing both Ayano and Misao to pull their hands away. Her face was flushed and her breathing was heavy. It was like she had just climaxed.

The two looked at Kagami and then at each other. They must have come to the same conclusion as they both were blushing awkwardly. They looked back to Kagami.

"Kagami, did you just…" Misao began.

"I… I don't want to talk about it…"

The brunette giggled. "I my god, you did!" She was struggling to keep her voice down. "Aya-chan, looks like you know how to please a girl. Congrats on the discovery"

Ayano blushed. "D-don't be ridiculous. That was all you"

"She only started mewing like a cat when _you_ started petting her. I think _you _deserve more credit than _I _do." Misao gave in and let out a hearty laugh. "And to think, _you're the straight girl_"

"Can we please stop talking about this…?" Kagami grumbled, lowering her head back onto the table, hiding her face behind her arms.

**LUCKY STAR**

Classroom 3-B was as active as it always was afterschool. The various kids were packing their things as the homeroom teacher droned on about the upcoming midterms.

"Remember, you still got that midterm thing in next week. You better not slack off!" Kuroi shot a look at the back of the class. "Looking at you, Izumi. Don't think just cuz you've been doing well this past month that I'll let you off easy. You'd better study"

"Don't worry teach. As long as I hit the books before the test, I'll totally be able to pass it!"

"That's not studying, that's cramming!" The blonde threw a piece of chalk at the bluenette, landing dead center on her forehead. "Study for real, Izumi!" Kuroi let out a deep sigh. "Now, with that done, everyone's dismissed. Have a nice weekend with your friends."

"You gonna be spending your weekend with a friend as well?" Konata asked suggestively.

"Don't mess with me, Izumi. I've still got seven pieces of chalk and I'm pretty consistent with my aim"

As the class began packing up, Tsukasa, and Miyuki gathered around Konata's table. The bluenette sat and looked thoughfully at the books in her desk, possible contemplating on what books she should take home.

"So, Tsukasa, you think you're gonna do okay in the exams next week?" Konata asked.

Tsukasa thought for a bit, brows furrowed and lips pursed. It was clear she was not sure. "I hope I will…" She said.

Konata chuckled. "I hope so too." Turning to Miyuki, she grinned. "And of course, I'm sure the mistress of moe is bound to get a perfect grade."

Miyuki smiled. "Perhaps" she said innocently. "Perhaps not. You never know" She giggled.

"Oh, don't be that way Miyuki, we all know you're the smartest girl in class. Heck, you're the smartest girl in the school!" Konata shouted standing up and waving her arms animatedly. "If you ever say that you're actually a really old and experienced mad scientist in a teenager's body, I wouldn't even be surprised" She said with a grin

"Always such a wild imagination" Miyuki chuckled. "That reminds me of my mother. She's like a child with an adult's body." She commented.

Konata stared at her. "Like a child? That wasn't what she was like the _last time _we saw her…" She noted. "I, for one, love children. The last time we saw her, I didn't like her at all. She was like that one side-character that gets so much screen time that the other characters don't get as much development."

The pinkette sweat dropped. "That is a strange analogy but I suppose it works well to describe your feelings of her…" She said. "It's more pertaining to the fact that she is very childish and immature. I do not hesitate to say this because she even says it herself."

"Really? How?"

"Well…" Miyuki thought for a bit. "Well, you know how she was acting very unpleasant towards you? It was because you two were dating"

Konata took offense "Is she homophobic or something!?"

Miyuki shook her head. "No. Rather, seeing love between girls somehow rekindled her own love for one particular woman. It brought with it painful memories that she'd rather not remember. Thankfully, she's starting to ease up on it since she's together with her now."

"Wait, she's dating that woman now? What about your dad?" Konata gasped. "Holy Haruhi, this is some serious NTR!"

"No, she's not cheating on my father. They have a bit of an agreement." Miyuki blushed. "What I'm about to tell you is a bit embarassing…"

Tsukasa, who had been silent for most of the conversation, spoke up. "Don't worry, Yuki-chan. We'll accept you either way" She said with a smile.

"Very well then. My father and Minami's father are… well… are a couple. Maybe a few years after Minami and I became friends, father and Mr. Iwasaki fell in love. They spoke to their wives and they came to an agreement that they could be together, provided that they still spend at least _some _time with their wives. So, in essence, I had two fathers and Minami was my step sister."

"Oh, that is so wonderful." "Wonderful and _awesome_." The two's responses were positive. Miyuki felt more confident to continue.

"As for my mother. The one she's with right now is actually Honoka Iwasaki, Minami's mother." The two stared, speechless, which caused Miyuki to chuckle. "Yes. I had a similar reaction. Two weeks ago, she, father, and Mr and Mrs. Iwasaki had a talk together. Long story short, I now have two mothers _in addition_ to two fathers."

"And it would make Minami even more your sister" Tsukasa cheered

"Yes. It would."

Konata laughed. "Well, I have a story about my dad but I doubt it could top yours" She began explaining. "So, you know two Saturdays ago when Ms. Kuroi arrived and talked to me…?"

And so, Konata told her tale, which the other two enjoyed listening to.

**LUCKY STAR**

The class of 1-D had already packed up and left, leaving just three students in the classroom. Yutaka sat on the side of a table near the middle. Opposite her, a column away, was Minami sitting sideways on a chair. Between them was Hiyori, sitting at her desk, hunched over and scribbling angrily on her sketchpad.

Yutaka and Minami had only the barest of knowledge as to why Hiyori was so agitated. From what they understood, Hiyori and Patricia had broken up earlier that week – neither knew for what reason. And so, they looked at each other in confusion, unsure as to how they should react.

"Hiyori-san…" Minami said, in an attempt to get her attention. She felt the question was unneeded but she asked anyway. "If we may, we'd like to know what's wrong"

Hiyori stopped. "Patricia" A single word was uttered by the manga artist, without even looking up, before she returned to her drawing.

They knew that already and it really didn't answer the question. Minami asked another. "… May we have more specific of an answer?"

"No"

Minami nodded quietly. _Very well. We won't pry. _Of course, she wasn't able to say that aloud as Yutaka suddenly cut in.

Yutaka jumped off the table and took hold of Hiyori's face, bringing it mere inches to her own. And, looked staight into the raven haired girl's eyes, "Tell us what's wrong" She ordered.

Her voice was sharp and cold – completely unlike what Minami was used to. She was reminded of that time the redhead first showcased her acting skills to Minami. The mint haired girl shivered. It was disconcerting how different she could act when she wanted to. The fact that she chose to be nice was scary.

Hiyori was similarly taken aback. "I-I… I…"

"We wanna help. _Let us._" Yutaka maintained unblinking eye contact as she let go of Hiyori and walked backwards, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Tell us what's wrong."

Minami glanced at Hiyori. _Will she crack the same way I did? _She wondered. _I don't think so. It almost feels like she was expecting __Yutaka to act like this. __This is so out of character of her. How could Hiyori expect it?__. _With the raven haired girl's short gulp of air, she began to explain. Minami listened intently.

Hiyori sighed. "Our break up was a little… intense, okay? We both said some things that we regret… at least I _think _it's both of us…"

Minami tilted her head curiously. _I've never seen Hiyori __angered, nor Patricia. I'd rather not see what it would be like when the fight. _She frowned. _And obviously they fought. Why else would they have broken up?_

"Really, it started last weekend, when we had the festival prep day."

_Last Saturday…? Why do I not find that surprising…? _Minami looked away. _I get the feeling that Yutaka and I are the only ones in our circle of friends that didn't have a bad day…_

"We sorta had a fight. It's stupid now that I think about it but she told my parents about us behind my back" Hiyori said, voice like that of one fighting down the urge to hurl. It must have been hard for her to talk about. "And then during the festival, she wouldn't stop talking about the opening ceremony. She wanted to do a performance with all of us and… well, she didn't really get what she wanted. I get why she was pissed but she spent the entire week being angry and she directed that anger at _me_. She was like a broken record, saying the same damn thing over and over."

Minami narrowed her eyes. _Same damn thing?_

"You think I'm kidding? After two days, I began counting. _Sixty two_." She took out her cellphone and started playing a recording of Patricia's complaints. "I had to listen to _this _for sixty two times"

"Did you ever tell her to stop?" Yutaka asked

"Not, I didn't. And she got mad at me because of it! When I confronted her about it, she told me is should have just told her. I _know _I should have just told her! That's why when I brought the topic up, I wasn't really all that mad yet. But she had the gall – the audacity – to get mad at _me_? Who does she think she is!?"

Yutaka and Minami glanced at each other. This was an overreaction and both of them knew it. Whether Hiyori knew it herself, they weren't sure. _Maybe she does know it? _Minami thought. _Maybe she's just getting angry to justify the break up?_

"What is the problem, Hiyori?" Yutaka asked again.

"She doesn't respect me!"

Minami blinked. _I find that hard to believe… _She thought back to when Konata had introduced Patricia to the two of them. She remembered feeling profoundly offended when the blonde called her by her first name despite knowing her for less than a minute. Only later did she realize that Patricia would stop and call her by whatever she wanted if she just said so. I feel like you trying very hard to get angry at Patricia for things that are just natural for her.

"You do understand that Patty is not a mind reader, yes?" Minami asked. Hiyori replied with a slow nod. "Then why do you expect her to stop when you never tell her?"

"Well…" The rave haired girl frowned. "What about you guys!? Neither of you talk and somehow you never have problems like the one _I'm _having. You two are practically mind readers!"

Minami blinked. She glanced to Yutaka, who looked a bit hurt and more than a little confused. She turned back to Hiyori and gave her response. "We are… For lack of a better word, a_ special _case… When you take into account that not everyone is like me, nor like Yutaka, you'll find that most relationships rely on communication. I am not expert by any means, but, given that information, perhaps you should have told her?"

"Unbelievable!" Hiyori yelled, standing up "Unbelievable!" She picked up her bag and began walking out the classroom.

The two glanced at each other worriedly. Hiyori was overreacting, which was nothing new to them – most of her reactions had always been extreme, now that they thought about it. They stood and moved to follow her.

**LUCKY STAR**

As the group from 3-C exited the school building, they were immediately buffeted by the cold wind of autumn. Kagami shivered. When the wave of air hit her, she felt chilled to the bone.

Outside, the fallen leaves from the nearby trees were caught in a small whirlwind, spiraling their way across the courtyard. It was certainly a sight to behold, provided one had the intention of beholding it in the first place – Kagami felt like so few people stopped to see the beauty of the world already laid out before their eyes.

She chuckled at the thought. On a bad day, whatever she saw right now would be nothing more than a gray wasteland to her eyes. Perhaps she was lucky that she did not feel quite as bad as she did the previous week, otherwise she might as well have considered the breath taking sight as a mere inconvenience on her way home.

On the other side of the courtyard were three familiar faces, standing by the gate. The shortest one of the jumped up and waved in greeting. "Oi! Kagami, Misakichi, Minegishi!" Konata called.

The three approached the gate where the other three were waiting and greeted them.

"Ladies," Konata said as she gallantly offered her hand towards Tsukasa and gestured toward the gate "shall we go home?"

"What a gentleman." Tsukasa commented with a smile before gently taking the outstretched hand. "I'd be more than happy" She turned to the rest of the group. "Shall we?"

They all smiled. Tsukasa and Konata certainly made for a cute couple. And now that the lavender hair girl could keep up with the bluenette's impromptu acts, they seemed all the more perfect for each other.

Kagami smiled. _Those acting lessons must have helped a lot. __It almost _hurts,_ how compatible they are._ She thought. _Tsukasa's grown a lot. She's more responsible, confident, and outgoing – and Konata's the reason for all of that. And to think it was only a few months since she was still clinging to me like a child to their mother. It's almost funny… Almost…_

She felt something hit her elbow. Glancing at Misao, Kagami found her offering her arm to her. "You up to joining them?"

Kagami chuckled. "Sure" She locked arms with the brunette, gently yet firmly holding her elbow. "Let's go" She said with a smile.

Looking around, she found that the others were smiling as well. All around her were smirks and knowing looks. "W-what are you all looking at?" Kagami stuttered, face slowly growing warmer. They simply giggled and replied with an '_it's nothing_', which caused the pony tailed girl the frown. It was very frustrating for her whenever they teased her like that. She knew it was all in good fun, but still.

Miyuki coughed. "I'm sorry but I have a prior engagement. It seems my sister has been held up and I'd like to know what happened to her. If you'll excuse me." With that, she bid them farewell and walked back into the school

"Miyuki-san has a sister?" Kagami asked, thinking out loud.

"_Step sister_" Konata corrected. "She also has two mothers and two fathers" She added a-matter-of-factly

Kagami and the others from 3-C stared at the bluenette in confusion. "What?"

"She's related to Minami"

"Oh…" _That was what she meant by step sister._ The three slowly pieced together what they heard. _Which means that __when she said__ Miyuki has two mothers and fathers…_ They blinked in unison "…Oh"

_Well… I guess that was what __Miyuki__ was talking about when I called her last Sunday…_ Kagami thought. _I wondering what she meant by "family complications" __when I asked her about __how she was doing__. Now I __get __what she meant – two moms and two dads. I can see how that can be complicated. Imagine trying to get the attention of one of them. She'd either get both or neither – unless she calls Mrs. Iwasaki… well… Mrs. Iwasaki… Or Honoka… But wouldn't that be disrespectful…?_

Her train of musings was derailed when the arm she was clinging onto was suddenly pulled back towards the school. The sudden motion jerked her out of her daze, prompting her to look behind her.

"Kusakabe, you've skipped afternoon practice for every day of this week, not to mention you skipped practice last saturday too."

It was the track team captain. From the looks of things, she wasn't happy with Misao at all. Likewise, Misao wasn't happy either. Her other arm was caught in a grip that looked so tight that the pain could be felt by everyone looking.

"C'mon, I've been attending _morning_ practice. Why not let me off?"

"Yes you were, and you're lucky that I'm normally too sleepy during morning practice to remember that you've been skipping the afternoons"

"You let the _others_ choose either morning or afternoon. Why not let _me_?" Misao complained.

"I _did_. At the start of the semester I let _everyone _choose. _You _chose _both_."

Misao winced and turned to the rest of the group who were looking at the scene with confusion. They were unsure how to react so they all turned to Kagami. "W-well, you chose this path, didn't you? Live with it…" She stuttered

"That's right! Now come on and tell your girlfriend to let go of your arm. You've got practice and I am not going to let you off this time."

Kagami and the others all sweat dropped as Misao was dragged away with a look of resignation on her face. "I swear, that girl is just hopeless sometimes…" Kagami muttered.

After a few awkward seconds of silence, the four of them collectively sighed and began walking in the direction of the train station. An ally had stayed behind of her own volition and another had been forced to. At the time, they didn't really find it all that funny but they knew that they'd eventually look back on that moment and have a laugh about it. They just weren't sure when that time would come…

**LUCKY STAR**

"Stop following me!"

Those were Hiyori's last words before she entered the animation research club room, slamming the door closed at Minami and Yutaka.

"I hope she starts feeling better soon…" Yutaka sighed.

Minami nodded in agreement. "It seems that she doesn't want to let us help." She noted. "Perhaps this is something that she'd rather fix on her own?"

"You really think so?" Yutaka asked, head tilted in curiousity.

The mint haired girl thought for a bit. "No. Not really. Hiyori's problem with Patricia is also a problem with herself. I feel like she knows this but refuses to admit it. She won't be able to help herself if it she doesn't do that" Minami began walking away. "But who knows, perhaps she'll need help."

The red head smiled. "And if she does, we'll be there." She began walking as well.

"Good afternoon, Minami, Yutaka"

By the shoe lockers, stood Miyuki, patiently waiting for the two to arrive. When she caught sight of them, she smiled and waved.

"Good afternoon, Nee-san" Minami greeted as she switched out her school shoes for her own.

Her yes narrowed when she saw a letter in the shoe locker. The envelope was plain and no name was written on it – not the sender's nor the recipient. _Yutaka and I switched lockers because hers was too high for her to reach. Is this letter for her or for me? _With a shrug, she opened and read it.

_Die __a horrible death__, homosexual scum._ In bold red, those words were printed onto the paper.

Minami read it over and over. A fire began burning in her heart – a fire hot enough to bring her bloodstream to boiling in a heartbeat and cold enough to to numb her entire body with little effort. She was angry – _extremely_ angry.

She frowned._Is this letter for her or for me? _She asked again, keeping her thoughts as cool as she could. She was quite good at reigning in her emotions so she calmed down a few seconds later.

"Minami, what's wrong?" Minami turned to see Miyuki and Yutaka looking at her with worried eyes. They could see straight through her stoic mask, so she wasn't surprised that they immediately noticed something was wrong.

Minami showed them the letter. "Who sent you this…" Miyuki asked, stoic yet obviously outraged. Minami brought out the plain envelope with nothing written on it. Her face grew tighter. "Discriminatory threats under the guise of anonymity. Such cowardice…"

The pinkette's tranquil fury was new to Minami. Very few times had she ever seen Miyuki as angry as she was, and even then, it was never the kind of anger where in she would actually speak ill of anything or anyone.

"Nee-san, I suggest we forget about this. It's best we not let it affect us."

Miyuki sighed. "I suppose you're right. There is nothing we can do right now." She began walking towards the exit. "But I do not believe you're completely correct in that statement. I refuse to forget about this." She said with a pout before exiting the building and waiting outside. "If and when we find out who this came from, they will suffer the consequences of threatening my family"

_Family… _The stoic tilted her head curiously. _Hearing that pleases me somehow…_

Minami blinked slowly, taking a deep breath. The letter would not doubt cause a lot of unneeded anxiety so she pondered on how to dispose it. It would be a simple matter of just ripping it up and letting the pieces scatter in the wind along with the masses of fallen leaves so she did not ponder long. She put the letter back in the envelope and began walking out the door.

"Let's go"

Yutaka followed Minami out the building.

**LUCKY STAR**

The sun was perhaps two hours away from disappearing under the horizon when the two Hiiragis reached home. The days were getting shorter, they noticed. Autumn started maybe a month and a half ago and they only just started noticing the changes. And said changes were going very quickly – it was as if summer had extended its stay and, now that fall had arrived, nature was making up for lost time. They didn't mind, though. Aside from the vast amounts of fallen leaves and the slightly colder weather, there wasn't much to be bothered about.

Kagami opened the door and began taking off her shoes. Tsukasa followed suit, crying out her greeting as she did so. "We're home!"

The two did a lap around the ground floor, looking if anyone was home, before they reached the kitchen. Miki and Matsuri was quietly sitting at the table while the rice was cooking on the stove. They greeted them cheerfully. "Welcome home" "S'up"

The two smiled before laying their bags on the table and taking a seat. "So, what are you talking about. Anything you're willing to tell us?" Kagami asked boredly.

Miki giggled. "Matsuri got another passing grade on a test. She was a good deal higher than the class average" She said, practically radiating enough pride to cripple Matsuri with embarrassment.

"M-mom… It isn't a big deal… I just studied is all…"

The two were mildly surprised. Matsuri was known to be the least responsible of the four Hiiragi daughters. The fact that she studied for a test was good news on its own – that she passed with an above average grade was even more cause for celebration.

"What's more, it seems she's gotten a boyfriend." Miki added

The table exploded with chatter – A shocked and curious stream of questions from the twins and embarrassed choking and denial by Matsuri. Miki simply watched the entertaining scene play out as it happened. "This definitely beats the game shows we watch. I don't see why Tadao dislikes hearing their bickering." She said under her breath, giggling.

"It's a guy I met maybe two weeks ago at the mall…" Matsuri said with a blush. "We hanged out a couple times after. He was pretty nice – Nice smile, nice face, nice personality. He asked me out a few days ago…" She paused, noting how the twins were leaning forward on the edge of their seats. She sweat dropped "Uh… Anyway, I said yes. Earlier, today he brought me to a quiet cafe not far from the station. We didn't really do anything different from when we were hanging out but…"

"It somehow felt different?" The twins said simultaneously, Tsukasa smiling and Kagami smirking.

Matsuri frowned "Mom said the same thing. Is it really supposed to feel that way?"

The twins shrugged. They were only a few months more experienced in romance than Matsuri was – meaning they were not very experienced at all. Miki however,

"Not necessarily. There is no exact way you're supposed to feel when you start dating." The mother said. "The feeling of nothing changing yet seeming different, however, seems to run in the family…" She added, looking away, somewhat embarrassed.

When prompted, Miki explained. "Well, Tadao and I were like that. Out first date was to a restaurant that we already frequented before we started dating. Nothing changed and yet something felt different." She chuckled "And from what I understand, all three of you are experiencing the same thing. I put two and two together and came up with the theory of that being the case. There's certainly convincing evidence, isn't there?"

"Huh…" The three pondered on this for a couple minutes. It wasn't hard to believe that it ran in the family. They just needed Inori to face a similar situation for them to be completely convinced.

Miki stood and began tending to the stove. "You two better go upstairs and get changed. We can continue out talk after, if you wish."

The twins smiled and nodded. They picked up their bags and went upstairs.

**LUCKY STAR**

The two trains arrived and Minami and Yutaka were forced to part.

"I kinda hate how our routes home are in opposite directions…" Yutaka sighed and said her goodbyes. "I'll see you next week."

Minami nodded and strode off to the other end of the platform, entering the train along side Miyuki. With a wave goodbye, Yutaka smiled and turned to face her own train. Stepping inside, she looked around to find a seat.

_Was that letter for me, or for Minami…? _After the red head found her seat, she pondered that thought. _Who would be so angry at us that they'd send us threats? I don't see why they'd do such a thing… _She recalled hat Miyuki said earlier. _Discrimination, __she said__… __D__iscrimination… __based on who people love…? Why would they act like that? Is it because it's different? I don't understand…_

Yutaka frowned and shook her head. _I shouldn't be thinking this. Like Minami said, it is better that I not let this affect me._

She turned around and took a look at the window behind her. The sun bathed the sky in a deep orange gradient, turning the thin white lining of clouds into a yellow blanket of cotton. The skyline slowly scrolled past in the distance, with the closer buildings flicking by. The view had a calm beauty to it and Yutaka found herself lost in its grandeur. She only realized she had reached her stop when the train slowed and the speakers blared the name of the station she was stopping at.

Blinking rapidly as she regained her wits, Yutaka stood and walked out of the train, lest she accidentally miss her stop.

This was one of the few times she was walking home alone. Most other times, Minami or Konata was with her. She wasn't all that worried, though. She was familiar with the route, and considering she'd been taking said route for over half a year, it wasn't surprising. She made her way home in silence

**LUCKY STAR**

It was already twilight when track practice finally ended. The cool autumn air was made ever colder once the sun was down, not that Misao minded. She was sweaty all over, and even after toweling off and resupplying her body with water, she still felt hot so the cold weather was just another way for her to cool off.

"Jeez. She didn't have to work me like a dog. We won the last track meet, didn't we? She could have at least cut me a little slack" She sighed and began walking to the gate. "Whatever. I'm just glad it's finally over."

_It's weird. Normally I really like track practice. What changed? Was it Kagami? Maybe. Masaru was right. She's really affecting me… _She frowned._ I'm okay with that though. All it took was a few weeks of studying with her and suddenly it's easier to concentrate while studying on my own. I'm finally doing alright in my classes. _She stopped in the middle of the courtyard and looked up at the grey sky up above. _Track is a big part of my life but I'd be lying if I wasn't struggling in school because of it. Maybe it's time to transfer to the going home club? _She chuckled. _I don't know if Kagami'd approve of that, though_

She turned to face the school. The quiet emptiness it had during the night was both eery and calm She'd have taken a picture if she had a camera. But she didn't have a camera. Also, there was one little thing that made the image of the empty school not a beautiful as it could have been. One room had its lights on.

"Now who'd be irresponsible enough to leave the light on?" Misao asked to no one in particular.

Then the lights went out.

"Whoa, someone's still in there! At this hour?" She moved to go back inside the school building.

**LUCKY STAR**

At the Takara estate, Minami and Miyuki sat by the windowsill, watching the sun disappear under the horizon.

Miyuki glanced at the mint haired girl. The girl's blue eyes were an ocean, and whatever lurked in its depths were difficult to see. Yet see Miyuki did. She knew what Minami was thinking – maybe not in exact detail, but she knew. She knew, and as she stared at the abyss, the endless ocean that was Minami's eyes, the abyss stared back.

"What is it?" Minami asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Thinking of Yutaka?"

Minami nodded.

Miyuki closed her eyes and nodded as well. Just as she had expected. There were very few times the redhead was _not _on Minami's mind. For most other topics, she never thought on it any longer than necessary. On the topic of Yutaka, however, it seems that there was never any end to the possible reasons she would think of her. Now that Miyuki thought about it, Yutaka Kobayakawa was an enigma of sorts.

She was a good natured girl and fairly innocent, which showed in her actions and speech patterns. Yet there was hidden metal in her. Miyuki did not interact with her often, and even then, it was in the presence of Minami, but still, she felt the steel of her will. Even her very subconscious rebels against her, as when Yukari had asked her for forgiveness, she still made the effort to stay true to herself. She was determined to forgive the woman even if it meant forcing herself.

That was but a glimpse of an unseen side to Yutaka's character. She knew of her back story – that she was a sickly girl who was always bedridden or hospitalized. Looking at her now, Miyuki could only imagine what she went through. She was still frail, yet there was strength in her that didn't seem to run out.

_Hmm… It seems I am no different with Minami. Yutaka is an interesting person and Minami's attention to her is not unfounded._

"I hope she got home alright…" Minami sighed.

"Don't worry, Minami. I'm sure she's fine. Both you and I know that she's stronger than she seems."

"Knowing that does not ease my anxiety… But I see your point. It's best not to worry."

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori turned off the lights to the animation research club room and locked the door. She ended up staying a good half hour longer than everyone else so she could finish that last few bit of key frames for the scene she was working on. Not that it mattered if she finished them. The entire club knew they wouldn't finish the animation until after winter break anyway so she had to wonder why she was still trying so hard to make for a deadline no one else was following.

As she trodded off, she could faintly hear the sound of footsteps. Light, yet powerful – as if the person had the most efficient pair of legs in the world. She was reminded of a video game character she remembered from her childhood – blue and very quick on his feet.

"Oh, so it's _you _who was still in here"

Hiyori stared at the girl before her. A brunette in a blue track suit, who had a pronounced fang on the left side of her mouth. She had seen her before, standing next to Kagami, sometimes holding hands with her. She looked like one of those tomboy characters. _Is that Hiiragi-senpai's girlfriend? _She wondered.

"You're here pretty late." She commented. Hiyori nodded. "Well, at least it wasn't a ghost or something." The brunette turned and began walking away. "Anyway, I'm headed home. Wanna walk to the station with me?"

Hiyori tilted her head curiously. Was she willing to walk with a stranger? Well, technically she wasn't a stranger, she was more of an acquaintance whom she didn't really interact with. But still, she didn't even know her name.

_Think about this. This is Hiiragi-senpai's girlfriend. What would she think if she found out that we went home together? Well, it isn't really home, more like to the train station…_

"S-sure." She answered hesitantly

"Alright, then." She smiled and began walking back outside the room.

_She seems relaxed. _Hiyori noted. _Like, REALLY relaxed. Either I've got an airhead that doesn't understand the situation or she's some sort of psychopath or something. _She narrowed her eyes. _Has that premise ever been used in a manga… probably but I don't know about it… speaking of which, I really should go back and buy some more…_

"Say, what's your name. Mine's Misao Kusakabe" She said as the two passed the gates

"T-tamura… Hiyori Tamura…"

"Tamura… I think I've heard the chibi mention that name before. You a friend of hers?"

Hiyori's attention was caught. _Chibi_? "Do you mean Izumi-senpai or Kobayakawa-san?"

"Oh, you know them both" Misao's laugh was hearty, but it felt kinda… hollow. There was something eating at the brunette.

_Hmm, whatever could it be? Money problems? School problems? Problems with Hiiragi-senpai, perhaps? Oh the possibilities… Now look at me. I'm looking at her like some quick inspiration grab for whatever story is cooking up in my head. What the hell is wrong with me…?_

"Is something wrong?" Hiyori blurted out.

"Eh, you could say that. Not really sure I should be telling you but I've recently been feeling really useless."

Hiyori blinked. Never in her life did she expect to get a serious answer – and from someone she barely knew at that. _What would posses __her __to tell __ME__? It ma__k__e__s__ no sense!_

"What about you?" Misao asked. "You seem to have that frown plastered to your face."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hiyori said in mock innocence. "My face is perfectly fine"

Misao chuckled. "Yeah it is. I'm just saying that your frown makes you look like you're going through a lot" She stated. "Whatever. I don't really need to know. Privacy and stuff like that…"

Hiyori looked down. Is it really alright for me to tell her? I mean, we don't even see each other in school. I can't really call her my friend… She looked back up at Misao, walking with her bag slung over her shoulder and her hands in her pockets. But now that I think of it, I'm not willing to tell my friends anything. Besides, they'd just side with Patty. Maybe an outsider's look at things is best.

"Okay…" Hiyori said. "I'll tell you…"

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata finished making dinner at roughly the same time as she heard the doorbell ring. Setting the dish on the table and putting a lid over it, she hopped off to the front door to see who it was. She expected it to be either Yutaka or her dad and her expectations were met.

"Evening, Onee-chan" Yutaka greeting cheerfully. She sniffed the air. "Oh, dinner smells wonderful"

"C'mon and get in. The sooner you get changed, the sooner we can have dinner." Konata said with a smirk and a wink. "Unless you'd rather have… _me_"

Yutaka sweat dropped. "I'd actually prefer dinner. I'm a bit hungry"

Konata recoiled dramatically. "Alas, even my own kin are ignorant of the appeal of a flat chest and short stature." She said, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead and bending backwards.

"Perhaps I'd be more inclined to take your offer if you had green hair and grew a head taller" Yutaka scoffed.

"So cruel!" Konata cried in mock anguish before she returned to her usual cat smile. "Alright. Go up and change. Dinner's getting cold back there"

"Okay, Onee-chan"

**LUCKY STAR**

The senpai and kohai sat on the swings of an empty playground. The chains creaked as they swayed back and forth, bringing back memories of swinging on it when they were children. Not that the memory was about that swing set in particular. There was just something about the playground that evoked a sense of nostalgia to both girls.

"You wanna know what my opinion is?" Misao asked.

Hiyori nodded vigorously.

"I think you're over reacting." Misao said bluntly. "And really, you should've told her she was bugging you. Your entire week would've probably been a lot better if you did that."

"You're taking her side too!?"

She backed up and raised her open hands in defense. "Hey, just telling it how I see it. Do you really think I'm taking side in this?"

Hiyori shrunk at her words. "S-sorry…"

"Ah, don't worry about it." Misao laughed and patted her shoulder. "But seriously. You should talk with her about stuff like that. If it upsets you, you should just freakin' say it." She grinned. "And I get that feelin' that I ain't the first one to tell you this."

Hiyori sighed. "What gave it away?"

"Probably that 'too' when you said 'you're taking her side too'."

"Darn it"

"So, what are you gonna do now? Are you gonna try and say sorry to her?" Misao asked. "Or will you wait for her to make the first move? Because, from the way you describe this whole spiel, both of you seem as guilty as the other."

She sighed once more. "I don't know…"

"Well, think on it. I'm gonna go home. I've got a nice hot dinner waiting for me and I don't want to make it wait long."

With that, Misao stood and walked away, leaving Hiyori to sit on the swing in silence. The talk left her with a lot to think about. She was sure the weekend would give her plenty of time…

**LUCKY STAR**

**A surprisingly long chapter released after a week? Am I finally returning to my weekly release schedule? Maybe...?  
**

**So, how do you like the relatively small break to all the drama I've been dishing out since… what was it, November? Earlier? I for one welcome this shift to lighter and softer, even if it won't last that long  
**

**I also took this time to explain somethings that I deliberately left out in the last chapter. Like Miyuki and Minami's family situation. I've had this in the works for a long time (since I introduced Tatsuya and Shintaro which was chapter 4). It didn't really end up the way I wanted but it works so I'll accept it. Besides, I never planned for a big reveal with the whole thing. I just thought, _eventually, they should end up together_. And that was what happened. Again, not really happy with how it went but it isn't something that I'm ashamed of.**

**I still seem to be on a writing high so expect another chapter some time after a week. If it takes me another month to update, well, that just means that my writing high has subsided. Until then, though, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are appreciated.**


	32. More of the same

**So, I'm sorry for the somewhat late update. Like I said, my writing high subsided. Looks like its back to monthly updates. Thankfully, this chapter is _long_ \- 8.3k words, not including the author notes. It's something, right?**

**SchmidteyMcQueen  
Thank you for the review but it seems like it is incomplete. You were literally cut off mid word. Also, I am open to suggestions. You don't need to act like giving them is a bad thing.  
**

**KonataMiku  
Thanks for the review. I'm willing to give tips but I'm not exactly able to give any if I don't know what you need.**

**In the last chapter, we're back to just school life drama. This will just be _more of the same_. Enjoy!**

**LUCKY STAR**

Monday was dreary and depressing. Even after weekend had past, the sky remained overcast, effectively turning a world of rich autumnal orange and browns into that of a desaturated gray. Not only that, but from the looks of things, it was likely that it was going to rain – if not later that day then later that week. Suffice it to say, the weather was gloomy. Therefore, absolutely _perfect _for the start of midterms week.

At the back of classroom 3-B were four girls, chatting among themselves. Unfortunately, their conversation was not as lively as they'd like. The rest of the class was similarly subdued, leaving the room in an uncomfortable situation of being neither chaotically loud nor calmly quiet. It was certainly unnerving.

"I wasn't able to bring my books back last weekend…" Konata lamented with a teary eyed expression. "I wasn't able to study any of the tests we took today…"

"There there" Tsukasa cooed in an attempt to cheer the bluenette up. She took her chop sticks and brought a piece of hotdog cut to look like an octopus to Konata's mouth. "Here, eat. Let the food take your troubles away."

Konata tenderly let the food enter her mouth before closing it shut. Her eyes remained teary even as she aggressively chewed her food. "I feel like such a failure…" She whispered dramatically, even as she chewed the food still in her mouth.

Kagami could only roll her eyes at her statement. Everyone knew Konata was faking it. Even with Tsukasa playing along, it didn't feel any more believable than it normally would. Though the tsundere had to admit it was entertaining.

"So, how _did _the tests go, anyway?" She asked with a deadpan smirk. "We got History and Biology tests earlier. I'm pretty sure I aced those. What about you guys?"

Misao scratched her head, smiling in embarrassment. "I forgot what we studied halfway through the test and guessed most of the answers"

Konata reached over the table and grabbed Misao's free hand. "You feel my pain."

"Yeah yeah" Misao grunted, shutting Konata up by flinging a bite-sized mass of rice at the bluenette's face which she quickly caught in the air with her mouth. "Good girl." Misao smiled and petted Konata's head.

"Can we please stop humoring Konata now? I'm starting to get annoyed."

The other three straightened up and began eating normally. "Kagami never lets me have any fun." Konata muttered. She leaned affectionately on Tsukasa "At least Tsukasa isn't so strict."

The younger twin smiled at stroked the head pressed against her shoulder. She was very thankful that Konata was comfortable with being affectionate with her in public. Now that Tsukasa thought about it, she had _always_ been affectionate – to her, to Kagami, really to anyone she considered a friend. _Maybe I'm thankful that I'M comfortable with her being affectionate with me? I've always been pretty shy so I'd normally be __so __embarrassed __that she'd never do something like this for long._ She felt a twinge of pride well up inside of her. _I guess I'm not as shy as I used to be._

"Uhhhg. You two are so cute it's sickening" Kagami said as she swallowed the last of her meal. "I'm glad I just finished because I think I've lost my appetite."

Tsukasa looked between her and Misao, who had also finished her lunch. "You two are done already?" She asked curiously.

Kagami smirked "Yeah. You two've been at it for so long that you've barely touched your food."

Tsukasa blinked in confusion. Konata came to the rescue with a comment. "Yes, but it's only been eight minutes since we started eating" She said with a smirk of her own. "Our antics aside, you two finished your meal in less than ten minutes"

Kagami stared. "What…?"

"Looks like the hungry wolf has influenced the bunny in the art of devouring her food…" Upon seeing the older Hiiragi react to her statement, Konata released the laugh that she'd been holding in. "Oh, Haruhi help me. If you could see the face you're making!"

"Hey!" The two shouted, simultaneously, both looking somewhat flushed. "So we both eat quickly now. So what…?" Kagami muttered, looking away.

Tsukasa had to admit, the entire situation was amusing. Her sister had always been quick at eating any food that was presented to her, Misao even more so. It made sense that the two would end up influencing each other in that regard. But the thought still brought a smile to her face regardless.

"It's nice to see that you're starting to act like each other." Tsukasa said cheerfully. "I think it's cute"

Her statement brought the said couple to silence. They blushed in embarrassment – and possibly pride, from what Tsukasa could sense. When the two glanced at each other and small smiles formed on their lips, she knew that what she sensed was correct. It warmed her heart to see how close the two had gotten.

The brief quiet that followed was calm and not awkward at all.

"Hey…" The surprisingly low and curious voice of Konata suddenly broke the silence. Startled, Kagami, Misao, and Tsukasa all gave her their attention. "Hey, you know where Miyuki is?" Konata asked with a tilt of her head

The other three blinked. _Where IS Miyuki? _Tsukasa wondered. Looking around, she saw that the others had the very same thing on their mind, or at least it seemed like they did. _I'm sure she has other friends __besides us__. __It __must be __that she's just__ hanging out with _them_. __Right…?_

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki sat at the cafeteria table, unsure as to why she was there.

She had forgotten her own lunch at home despite Minami reminding her about it that morning – twice – thus she went to the cafeteria that lunch time to buy food. She ended up with a bowl of ramen that was a different flavor than she intended because she had lined up for the wrong stall. As she left with a bowl of pork ramen – she wanted miso ramen – her attention was grabbed by a familiar voice calling out to her. Turning towards the voice, she saw Minoru Shiraishi waving at her at a table with a free seat. Next to him was Ayano Minegishi. She made her way there and laid down her food.

Thus, she sat with two friendly acquaintances. _O__r perhaps casual friends would be a better __term to use?_ She thought. _Still, I never expected to be eating lunch with these Shiraishi-san and Minegishi-san. I'm certainly surprised._

"So, how'd you do in the test, Takara?" Minoru asked.

And so began the small talk that she was all too familiar with. Her own circle of friends always seemed to start their conversations with mundane topics yet they always end up going off on random tangents. Sure enough, that was exactly what happened.

"Well, I suppose I did well." Miyuki said as she took a sip of her ramen. "Many of the questions seem a lot less complicated now that a look back on them as opposed to when I was still answering."

"True true." Minoru agreed, nodding. "What about you, Minegishi?"

"I did alright. I'm sure I'll pass. I'm just not sure if I'll get a high grade"

"You guys seem so sure of yourselves, and here I am scared out of my life." Minoru said with a sigh. "I'm getting by just fine, I know, but still"

"Such is the problem of juggling a school along with two jobs" Miyuki said with a giggle. "Really, you've got your work cut out for you"

Ayano tilted her head curiously. "You have jobs?"

"Er… yeah…"

Miyuki smiled. _And thus it begins…_

**LUCKY STAR**

Class 1-D was fairly empty that lunch. Most of the students were either outside, enjoying the welcome sunlight that suddenly peeked through the layer of clouds, or at the cafeteria. That said, three particular students stayed in the room – namely, Yutaka, Minami, and Hiyori. They sat near the middle of the classroom, having lunch together.

"I take it that Patricia won't be joining us?" Minami asked. Hiyori simply nodded and continued eating. Minami closed her eyes slowly. _I'll take that as a yes…_

The raven haired girl was somewhat irritable – even more so than she was last week. It amazed Minami how grumpy Hiyori had become over the course of the weekend. She couldn't, for the life of her, think of any reason for the change. And she wasn't about to guess as to what had caused it – she didn't want to. So Minami simply stared, keeping her confusion hidden under her neutral mask.

She took a glance at Yutaka, who was, likewise, staring at Hiyori. The red head also keep a stoic face. And yet, Minami could faintly detect the worry hidden underneath the mask. Her brows were subtly shaking, slowly furrowing like they did when she was worried, before suddenly reverting back to their neutral positions. Right as she began to show any inkling of expression she pushed them down and returned to her passive stare.

Minami blinked. _This is… new… _She thought._ Yutaka seems to by keeping her emotions down. I do not understand why she'd do this… _She moved her gaze down to her food and continued eating. _I will asked her later…_

"Minami…" Yutaka whispered, barely audible to even Minami who was right next to her.

Minami chewed slowly, keeping her head facing down towards her food even as she looked at Yutaka. She raised an eyebrow in question. Yutaka met her gaze before glancing at Hiyori. She then looked down and began prodding her food with her chop sticks. Minami tilted her head curiously before moving focus on Hiyori. Despite how aggressively she had been eating earlier, the manga artist sat there with half a lunch box of food left. She stared at her food angrily, almost furiously, not even touching it.

Minami tilted her head in the other direction and narrowed her eyes slightly. _Curiouser and curiouser…_

"I've lost my appetite." Hiyori said, standing up. "I'm going to the nurse's office for a while."

The mint haired girl blinked. She watched Hiyori pack up her lunch and leave the room without a word. In the tense silence between the door opening and closing, Minami kept her head facing her food, listening closely to the bespectabled girl's footsteps. Once she heard the door close, Minami stood, walked up to it, and opened it again. Weirdly enough, she was not surprised to see who was right outside.

Leaning on the wall across from the door was Patricia, looking somewhat annoyed.

"I take it that you've only just arrived?"

"Yeah. Right as I was going to open the door, Hiyori suddenly opens it and pushes past me. What's with her?"

_Hiyori must have felt Patricia's presence. I assume Yutaka picked up on it as well_. Minami narrowed her eyes. _Maybe __Yutaka__ wanted me to stop her __from leaving__? I don't know. Much of what she told me was lost in translation._

She nodded at Patricia and made her way back to her lunch. Patricia followed suit.

As Minami took her seat, Yutaka shot her a look of both disappointment and apology. _Perhaps I was correct when I assumed Yutaka wanted me to stop her?__If so, at least it seems like she's realized that some of her intended messages weren't well sent nor well received_.

Minami slowly closed her eyes and bowed her head at her girlfriend. _It's fine, Yutaka_.

Yutaka looked away and frowned to herself. _It seems she doesn't quite believe me. _Minami noted. _No matter. We can discuss it later. _The stoic then faced Patricia who had seated herself in the seat Hiyori had previously occupied. She narrowed her eyes. _Right now, there's something else we have to talk about…_

"Patricia, pardon my prying but I believe you and Hiyori broke up recently?"

"Yeah. Kinda sucks, right?"

Minami twitched somewhat. _Casual. __The break up __isn't a big deal for her… _She brought up her chopsticks once more and bit on a slice of omelet. _Or is it…? _Minami glanced at Yutaka, brushing her hand on the red head's thigh under the table. _What do you think?_

Yutaka's lips slowly bent downward into a small frown. Similarly, her eyebrows scrunched together by mere centimeters.

_She's not sure either_. Minami interpreted. She looked back down on her food. _She's suddenly so much harder to read today. I wonder what happened…?_

"Yo, if your little telepathic conversation is over, could you tell me what's up with Hiyori?"

The two blinked. Telepathic? Sure the two were speaking without words but it was hardly as smooth as actual mind-to-mind communication. It was more like making a literal translation of whatever one wanted to say, relaying it to the other, and then translating it back. There was a large chance that the meaning of what was said would be lost in the translation process. The only reason they chose to interact that way is because Minami wasn't used to speaking aloud and Yutaka could actually detect the subtle signals the mint-haired girl would send.

_But it might as well be telepathy to someone who can't notice the signs. _Minami admitted to herself. _It doesn't seem like Patricia can sense these types of things anyway._

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you anything about Hiyori. I understand the situation as much as you do, perhaps even less"

Patricia shrugged. "Oh well"

"Would you mind telling us what happened?" Yutaka asked, tilting her head curiously. "With the break up I mean?"

Minami shot Yutaka a questioning look to which she responded with a wince. _I'm sorry Minami_, the look said. The taller girl made no comment. She was going to ask Patricia the very same thing herself. So she nodded at the shorter girl. _It's fine. Don't worry._

The blonde frowned at the question. "Didn't Hiyori tell you already?" She asked with a scowl.

"We'd like to hear it from your point of view." Minami answered curtly.

She eyed the blonde waiting for her reaction. Glancing at Yutaka, she seemed to be doing the same thing.

Patricia thought for a bit before complying "Well, okay. It happened like this…"

Minami and Yutaka listened closely, slowly cringing as the American described the story from her point of view. The two of them were starting to feel like perhaps Hiyori was justified in her reactions, considering how Patricia seems to view their problems.

Patricia frowned as she finished her story. "Huh…" She stood. "I was going to talk with you guys for a while after this but it doesn't seem like you want me here anymore"

Minami raised an eyebrow in question.

"Just the feeling I get." She answered. She began moving out the door. "See you…"

Minami watched impassively as the blonde left them to their own devices. With narrowed eyes, she began questioning the very reason Patricia had gone to their class in the first place.

"Something tells me that talking to us isn't the only reason for her to come here…"

As the mint haired girl mused aloud, Yutaka nodded in agreement. "She keeping things from us. I can't sense if it's a good secret or a bad one…"

Minami glanced at the shorter girl and tilted her head curiously. "There is such a thing as a good secret?"

Yutaka sighed. "There are somethings people are better off not knowing…"

The wistful way she had said those words had struck Minami as unusual. Even as the bell signaling the end of lunch period rang, her voice continued echoing in the back of Minami's mind. It was a good long while before it eventually stopped, and in that time, a number of questions were raised.

_Secrets better kept secret… What could have happened for her to say that…?_

**LUCKY STAR**

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of classes, the students of 3-B began packing up. There were three tests that day and it seems like most of the those who took it looked dangerously drained of life. Tsukasa was one of those people. As she slid her book back into her bag, she couldn't help but remember how difficult she found the tests earlier.

Right in front of her was a multiple questions she knew the answer to, except that it seemed like all of the choices were correct. She had always been bad at figuring out which choice was the best choice, thus, she had a lot of trouble with that particular part of the test – and those were what she found to be the easiest. The more difficult questions that completely stumped her were the identification ones. She absolutely hated how the word she wanted was just within her reach but, whenever she made a grab, it would always inch away just enough that she'd never get to it. Most of the tests were like that so Tsukasa wasn't very hopeful about her score.

The lavender haired girl let out a sigh, both of disappointment and of relief. _I may have flunked those test but at least they're finally over with_. She giggled. _I sound like Kagami. __Maybe not with the flunking thing but…_

Tsukasa shook her head to free her of the random thoughts that tended to plague her mind. What was she doing again? Right, she was packing up to go home.

Konata walked up to her, bag in hand. "Yo, we'll be going home with Yutaka. You go grab your sister and head to the gate. I'll get Yu-chan and meet you there"

Tsukasa nodded. She stood and began walking to the back door, absentmindedly leaving her bag on her seat. Right as she realized this, she heard Konata whistle to get her attention. She froze mid stride and winced. "Sorry…" Tsukasa turned back, lips turned upward in an awkward smile of apology.

Her phone suddenly vibrated and Tsukasa jumped. Fumbling to get the device out of her pocket, she went to look at who had sent her the message.

[From: Onee-chan  
Subject: n/a

Gonna be watching Misao's practice with Ayano. Don't wait up for me]

"Actually, it looks like sis will be busy" Tsukasa said. She shrugged. "I guess I'll be going with you to get Yu-chan"

Konata smiled and offered her left hand, slinging her back over her shoulder with her other hand. Gingerly, Tsukasa took the hand with her right, shouldering her own bag. Together they walked out the classroom.

As the two walked the halls, the taller girl could feel the stares by passersby. While she definitely sensed a fair amount of discomfort from a number of people, she noted that the majority of those whom they passed seemed to find them amusing or cute or some similar adjective. Her face flushed at the thought of so many people finding them cute. The feeling perhaps even rivaled what she had felt when Konata had announced to the entire class that they were dating.

Tsukasa blinked. She had blanked out and, once again, Konata had safely guided her through the school, en-route to their destination, Classroom 1-D. She seemed to have stayed in a daze even as she climbed down the stairs to the first year classrooms as they had already arrived where they had intended to go.

"Welcome back. How was your little trip through day-dream land?" Konata asked with a smile. "Anyway, I'm gonna go get Yutaka."

Tsukasa nodded, happily waiting by the door. She didn't need to wait long as it took mere seconds for Konata to walk back out of the classroom, with a mint and rose haired girl following close behind. A brief exchange of pleasantries later and they're walking with Tsukasa and Konata towards the shoe lockers. Tsukasa took this time to stare at the two curiously.

She had always admired Minami. The rather tall and silent first year was a bit intimidating at first glance, but a closer inspection led to Tsukasa noticing her cuter attributes, like her shyness and her reactions to compliments. Yet she always seemed so reserved. Even Tsukasa, who had a knack for reading people, could barely scratch the surface of the stoic. That said, she very much admired smallest girl in their circle of friends as well. She was similar to Tsukasa in that she too could read people but it was likely that Yutaka was much more adept at it than Tsukasa was. Which was one of the reasons why Yutaka and Minami's relationship seemed so perfect, at least to Tsukasa's eyes.

"I acknowledge that it is you're opinion, but I'd like to point out that we're only human" Minami suddenly said, snapping Tsukasa out of her trance. The stoic continued, in her oh so attention-grabbing monotone. "Perfection is a hopeless ideal and therefore impossible to achieve."

"_But_…" Right as Tsukasa was about to hang her head in embarrassment, Yutaka intervened. "We do our best to be the best girlfriends we can be to each other." She said with a smile.

Minami smiled as well. "And, it seems, so far so good."

"You two are amazing! You're so good at reading people." Tsukasa gushed. "I know you can't read minds, but it's almost like you _can_!"

The two sweatdropped. "We aren't telepathic." Minami sighed in an almost tired voice that made Tsukasa wonder how many times they were mistaken to have telepathy. "We are merely observant"

"It helped that you were whispering what you were thinking" Yutaka added

The youngest Hiiragi blushed and scratched her head in embarrassment. With an awkward giggle, she glanced at Konata. Said girl was snickering. With a final sigh, the topic for conversation faded away.

Upon reaching the shoe lockers, the two groups split, each heading to their respective aisle.

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami opened her shoe locker to find another letter in it. She frowned. _Another one…_

She took the envelope and began reading it's contents.  
_Look at your girlfriend._  
That was all the letter said. As perplexing as the motive was for even sending said letter, the instructions were clear. Minami was more than a little apprehensive when she glanced at her partner.

Yutaka was giving at a letter of her own a hard stare. Quite quickly, she began crumpling it up and tearing it. Her face remained neutral, but Minami could feel the anger radiating from her, even from a few paces away.

_Anger…? _Minami noted. _She __seems to always have __something new __to show me __today…_ She narrowed her eyes. _Anger is__ an emotion __I__ had only ever seen from __her __once – and even then, it wasn't of this intensity. What could drive a girl like Yutaka into the seething rage she seem__s__ to be exhibiting __right now__?_ Minami didn't know. All she knew was that an angry Yutaka was not something she wanted to see ever again.

"Let it go, Yutaka."

"No. This isn't right. It… It's mean…" The red head's frown was more sadness than anger now. "Why would someone do this… It's not…" She trailed off, visibly too upset to continue speaking.

"I agree. This is not alright." Minami said calmly. She put a hand on Yutaka's shoulder and gently patted her head. "But you shouldn't let this mess with your emotions. It's okay to get upset. What's not okay is if you let your judgment get impaired because of it." She closed her eyes and whispered soothingly. "Now, breathe…"

After a deep sigh, Yutaka nodded. "… I'm okay now…"

"Are you sure…?"

She nodded once more.

"Very well. Let's get back to our senpais now."

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa opened her own locker only to find an unmarked letter sitting neatly over her shoes. _I wonder who sent this_. She wondered. Alas, reading it gave no further clues as to whose it was from. Just a puzzling message. '_If I were you, __I'd stay out of school__' What does this mean?_

She shrugged and began putting on her shoes, slipping the letter in her bag. She decided the shelf the matter for later – perhaps it would make more sense if she were at home.

Joining Konata at the front of the school, the two waited for the other couple to arrive. When they _did_, they seemed visibly upset. It passed quickly, thought – it seemed that the two had quickly suppressed their emotions upon being in sight. Tsukasa didn't comment on it, but there was no denying what she saw.

I wonder what happened with them? She couldn't guess anything that could have possibly happened in that short amount of time that they'd like that. It seemed so out of character. I suddenly really want to ask them about it…

"Alright!" Konata said enthusiastically. She turned and raised her fist, marching energetically out the school. "Tsukasa, Yutaka, let's go home!"

Yutaka gave the mint haired girl a peck on the cheek before following Konata. It was somewhat of an adorable sight, seeing the shorter girl get on her tippy-toes and only reaching neck level. Minami had to bend down a bit. "Bye Minami" Yutaka bid farewell. Minami responded with a nod and wave before walking to the athletics fields…

The two walked to the train station in silence.

**LUCKY STAR**

On the quiet grassy hill at the edge of the track field were three girls sitting peacefully on the slope. Kagami and Ayano had decided to stay for a few hours to watch Misao practice, apparently like they used to back in middle school. Joining them was Miyuki, who wished to get to know Ayano better, fueled by the brief chat she had at with her at lunch.

"So, when did you two meet?" Kagami asked.

"Believe it or not, we met on the day you and Misao got together, all those months ago." Miyuki said with a smile. "I was with Minoru at the time and Minegishi-san asked him to comfort Misao back when you made her cry"

Kagami winced. "Right… I forgot about that…" She then looked down with a curious hmm. "You said Minoru would comfort her? How does he even know her?" She asked

"Well, he _is _the announcer for most of our school-wide events." Miyuki argued. "I don't think there's a soul in this school who doesn't know who he is."

Kagami closed her eyes and turned away innocently. "Not anymore at least. I had no intention of ever learning his name"

Ayano giggled. "Oh, Hiiragi. You're like that for every new person you meet. Eventually you'll get curious and start to befriend him"

"Ew, no." Kagami shivered. "I try to keep the number of boys who are relevant in my life as low as possible."

"So, I'm guessing teachers and superiors?"Ayano said dryly

"Yup"

"Really, Hiiragi, your refusal to aknowledge any boy as an equal is what keeps you from getting a boy friend"

Kagami stared at Ayano in utter confusion. "You do realize who you're talking to, right?" She asked, chucking.

"Oh…?" Ayano's face lit up. "OH…! Well… This is embarrassing…"

"I'm about as straight as a tangle of wires, Minegishi. So far, the only people I've ever been attracted to were girls… well maybe there's that one guy from Fate/Stay Night but he's fictional so he doesn't count."

The other two looked at her in confusion. "Fate Stay Night?" They asked.

Kagami laughed nervously. "Heheheh… well that's just some anime. It doesn't really matter." She said, waving it off

"Anyway, did your last weekend go? I believe you were studying with Misao-san, correct?" Miyuki asked.

"It went terrible" An immediate answer. "We'd study together in my room for half an hour and after that, she just slumps forward and falls asleep. I'd take five to ten minutes to wake her up and when I mange to do that, she's already forgotten half of what we studied."

"Oh my." Miyuki giggled. She's quite the handful, isn't she?"

"Tell me about it."

Ayano stared at the pony tailed girl curiously. "So…You two study in your room?" She received a nod. "Alone?" Another nod. "For hours"

"The entire afternoon. Why do you ask…? And why are you looking at me like that?" Kagami asked cautiously.

"I… well…" The orange haired girl blushed. "Hiiragi, this is going to sound a bit… perverted… but don't you two…" She tilted her head to the side, looking away. "… do you two… you know…?"

Miyui looked between the two. Kagami didn't seem to understand where Ayano was going and Ayano seemed too embarrassed to actually talked about what she was implying. The pinkette sighed. Looks like she would have to be the one to explain what other did not understand… Again…

She coughed to get their attention. "Kagami-san, I believe she is talking about… um… sexual intercourse"

Kagami blinked. "Eh?" It was quite visible when the realization dawn upon her as her cheeks started turning red. She slowly looked down, not making eye contact with anyone. "Oh… I… um…"

Ayano was similarly flustered, looking down at the ground as well. "… I'm sorry for the awkward question, Hiiragi…"

"N-no… No, it's fine… just… unexpected."

_The dynamic between Kagami-san and Minegishi-san is interesting. _Miyuki noted. _They seem close, and are quite fine with opening up to each other, but deliberately keep their distance __for whatever strange reason__… I wonder __exactly what that reason is. These two have been friends for a long time. There doesn't seem to be any reason for them to be as awkward as they are… then again, even _I _would be flustered if I were to ask or be asked a question on that particular… topic…_

"Well… the thing is… we haven't exactly done it yet… like… at all…" Kagami explained.

"Have you at least kissed?"

"Yes but… you can count how many times on one hand…" The tsundere said, looking away. When she glanced back, she saw Ayano was leaning forward, staring at her. "… Um… Minegishi…?"

"How many times…?"

"… Four…"

"The fang sticking out of her lip. Does it make it feel any different?"

"How should I know? I've only ever kissed _her _on the lips." Kagami said, blushing and looking away once more. "Besides, doesn't her brother have a fang too? You should at least know how it feels."

Ayano's expression soured and she looked away as well.

"… Minegishi…?"

Miyuki looked between the two, somewhat distressed. _Oh dear. It seems the conversation it drifting towards the danger zone. __What landmine was tripped this time?_

"We haven't exactly kissed… yet… yeah, we haven't kissed yet…"

Kagami outright blew up in outrage. "What? You've been dating for three years! How does that work!?"

Miyuki put a hand on Kagami's shoulder "Kagami-san, if I may?" The glasses-girl paused briefly for an answer. When she received none, she decided to continue. "Kagami, not all relationships are ones where a kiss is an expression of love. Sometimes, kisses make one or both of them uncomfortable. It's perfectly okay not to kiss at all in a relationship. It's nothing to freak out about."

Kagami hung her head. "…Er… Sorry. I was just shocked. I didn't mean to yell…"

"Um… It's okay… Hiiragi… just… I don't really like talking about it…" Ayano replied softly.

An awkward silence settled between the two. Not quite as awkward as the interaction they had earlier, but awkward enough that it can't just be ignored. It was unfortunate that Miyuki was not very adept at reviving a conversation as she didn't enjoy sitting next to them as they both stared at the grass they were sitting on. Luckily, the cavalry arrived, so to speak.

"Sorry to intrude. Good afternoon, Nee-san, Kagami-senpai." Minami walked up to the three, staring at them with a slightly tilted head and somewhat furrowed brow – a subtle expression of curiosity. She turned towards Ayano. "I am Minami Iwasaki. I don't believe we've met."

Ayano quickly recovered from her flustered daze and returned the greeting. "I'm Ayano Minegishi. Pleased to meet you, Iwasaki-san" To which Minami nodded in reply.

"Would you mind if Minami joins us for a while?" Miyuki asked. "I believe she wishes to spend time with me and get to know my friends."

"Certainly." Ayano answered. "The more the merrier, right Hiiragi?"

To which Kagami answered. "Eh, sure. Why not?"

As Minami settled down, Kagami and Ayano resumed their conversation, doing their best to stray away from the topic of physical intimacy with their respective partners. Of course, while the tension was dissipating, it was still there – more so with Ayano than Kagami.

Minami glanced at Miyuki and gave her a questioning look. Miyuki sweat dropped. Oh dear. I have no idea how to non-verbally convey what happened. She realized. She decided to simply whisper into Minami's ear.

"Minegishi-san and Kagami-san stumbled upon a bit of an unfavorable topic earlier. They're both still somewhat… uncomfortable… with talking to each other."

Minami nodded. Then she stared at Ayano once more and narrowed her eyes. _She looks in pain…_

Miyuki looked at Ayano as well, unsure as to what the mint haired girl was saying. _In pain? She looks fine to me. What do you see?_

Minami frowned "I think she's hiding something. Something painful."

Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "Their topic earlier was about their partners and intimacy."

"That isn't much to go off of…" The stoic commented. "I have my theories. I'd rather not speak of it while she's so near, though."

"Very well. We'll speak about this later." Miyuki nodded. Minami nodded back. They then joined the other two in the conersation.

**LUCKY STAR**

As the train came to a stop, Tsukasa could only smile sadly in reply to Konata's wave good bye. This was one of many times in which Tsukasa wished she lived closer to Konata – perhaps a station closer. She felt weirdly lonely every time they had to part and being one station closer to where Konata would get off would simply lessen the time in which Tsukasa would feel said loneliness.

Of course, that was little more than wishful thinking, as the whoosh of the train doors closing were quick to remind her. Right as she felt the train accelerate, Konata and Yutaka turned around and made their way home.

Tsukasa blinked. Her smile was still on her face yet it no longer felt genuine. Returning to a neutral expression, she bowed her head and sighed.

_And there she goes._

She walked away from the door, towards an empty seat. Sitting down, she pulled out her phone and began reading the new messages. Most of them were messages from her mother. A request for her to buy groceries.

_Hmm… from the ingredients, Mom must have something special in mind for dinner tonight_. Tsukasa commented. _I wonder if she'll let me watch… if she'll let me help… I wonder…_

Flipping her phone closed, she pocketed it once more. Shifting on her seat, Tsukasa looked out the window, quietly wishing that the train would go faster. And slower. Slower when she was with Konata. Faster when she was alone.

Alone… The word didn't feel at all familiar – the feeling felt even less so. Loneliness was not something she was used to.

_This is one of the few times when I'm every really alone… _Tsukasa realized. _There's normally someone with me when I'm going home. The only other time I've ever been alone where I actually __FELT__ alone was __when I found out Kagami and I wouldn't be classmates and__… _Her eyes widened. _… __And __the day Konata and I became a couple…_

She remembered going home, alone on the train that evening. She and Konata had went to Gamerz for a little bit of shopping, buying an item which pushed the metaphorical snowball down the snowy hill. On the train, they decided that they'd get together. But like just earlier, Konata had gotten off before Tsukasa did, leaving her to her own thoughts. The last time she ever felt lonely was the day she had something that was hers – a relationship.

_Onee-chan is normally always with me. _Tsukasa thought. _When we became highschoolers, that changed. I felt so lonely… But that stopped in a week, which was when I met Konata. _She smiled. _I remember how she kicked that foreigner in the face because she thought I was in danger. Then we found out how he was just asking for directions. I never felt more amused or emba__r__rassed._

The image of the bluenette flashed before her eyes. She heard the sound of her voice singing softly in her head – the feeling of her fingers intertwined with hers – the faint smell of vanilla in her hair – even the taste of chocolate from her lips. She was nearly overwhelmed as the memory of those sensations rushed through her. She shook her head but those thoughts wouldn't leave. It was all but burned into her memory.

She lightly rubbed her chest over her heart, breathing slowly. Why was she remembering those things? And why now of all times? The answer wouldn't come.

But perhaps it did. Its just that she wasn't asking the right question. A thought came to her as she slowly let the memories fade away into the calm recesses of her mind, to be invoked again when she felt like remembering. A thought came to her – an epiphany of sorts – an answer to a question she had been asked before but had long forgotten. A question posed to her by her parents, Kagami, and even Konata herself. Did she like Konata Izumi? Like… like-like her? She answered yes before but now, that answer had changed.

_No_. _I don't like her._ Tsukasa thought. _I love her…_

A decisive stream of pride welled up inside of her. She wanted to scream to the world – nigh, scream to the universe – what she just realized. She almost did. She had already stood up and had taken a deep breath. She was however saved from embarrassing herself when the train slowed to a stop and the speakers blared the announcement of they station they had arrived at. I just so happened to be Tsukasa's stop.

She exhaled, soundlessly, grateful that she didn't end up screaming to the train at the top of her lungs that she was in love with her girlfriend. In hindsight, the fact that Konata was _already_ her girlfriend sort of made her realization a bit less of a big deal. True, she didn't exactly believe that she herself was in love until that very moment, but still, it was a big discovery.

As Tsukasa walked off, she remembered the words she said all those months ago. _I think I may be falling in love with you._ She had told Konata. It was the simple and honest truth at the time. Now though…

_No. Not __'__think__'__. I don't __'__think__'__ that anymore._ She thought. _Am. I AM. I am in love with Konata Izumi._

She smiled as she walked home, growing happier and happier every time she repeated those words in her head.

**LUCKY STAR**

The Izumi household was not quiet when Konata and Yutaka arrived. Upon taking off their shoes, they notice a third pair by the door – large brown loafers. They were much too big for any of the girls, not to mention that only one person in that household actually wore those kinds of shoes. They put on their slippers and check the kitchen.

"Yo, Dad, what's cooking?" Konata asked, her signature cake smile adorning her face.

"It's nothing very creative. Just some fried rice with some eggs and hot dog." Sojiro answered. "Go one and get changed. I'll be done in a bit."

"Thanks, Dad." Konata gestured for Yutaka to follow. "C'mon, Yu-chan. Food is waiting for us!"

**LUCKY STAR**

The Iwasaki Estate remained fairly quiet, even as the two mothers chatted while they waited for their daughters to come down for dinner. Said daughters were upstairs in Minami's room.

Having changed out of her uniform into more casual clothes, Minami sat next to Miyuki on her bed who was similarly clothed.

"So, Minami. What did you see?" Miyuki asked. Straight to the point. Minami liked that

"The topic they spoke about earlier was… intimacy… with their respective partners, correct?" The pinkette nodded, prompting Minami to continue. "She seems pained, in that she's hiding something and that topic brought mention of it. That something must be quite unpleasant."

Miyuki frowned. "Do you have any ideas as to what it could be?" She asked. "I expect it to involve her boyfriend, though that's about it."

Minami tilted her head curiously. "You mean that boy that looks like Misao?"

Miyuki blinked. "Why… yes… Ayano Minegishi's boyfriend is Misao's brother, Masaru Kusakabe…" She stared at the mint haired girl in confusion. "How did you know?"

"He was at our fortune telling booth during the festival. Yutaka was predicting his future when Minegishi-san came and dragged him away. He looked terrified."

"Terrified?" Minami nodded in answer to Miyuki's confused query. "Huh… I wouldn't exactly describe Minegishi-san as terrifying…"

Minami nodded once more. "Well, from what I've gathered, This Masaru Kusakabe seems to be… the victim of an abusive relationship."

Miyuki's eyes widened. "What? Why do you say that?"

Minami thought for a bit, scowling as she tried to translate her thoughts into words. With more than a little difficulty, she managed to form them into something coherent.

"Well, this is just from my observation of their interaction during the festival but Masaru Kusakabe is absolutely terrified of Ayano Minegishi, the person who he's supposedly in a romantic relationship. I observed Ayano Minegishi's implied threats in her speech was she violently dragged the boy out of the booth by the collar."

Miyuki winced. "I heard that Minegishi-san is a bit short tempered and quite violent but I did not expect that…"

Minami nodded. "It is a bit… disturbing." She commented.

The pinkette sighed. "I suppose we should go down and have dinner now" She stood and walked towards the door, hand hesitating at the door knob. She let her arm fall to her eyes and turned back to Minami. "Unless you have something else to talk about…"

Minami thought for a bit. Several events though out the day ran through her mind – Patricia and Hiyori; Yutaka – but to talk about them would mean further lengthening their mothers' wait. She decided to shelf the topics until after dinner. The mint haired girl gave Miyuki a stare.

Miyuki chuckled "Okay then. It can wait." She opened the door and gestured for Minami to join her. "Come. Dinner awaits"

[miyuki and minami talk quietly right before dinner about ayano and patricia]

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami walked down the street, head hung and feet dragging. She felt tired. So very tired. Still, she couldn't help but appreciate how peaceful her street was. The bright lights of the street lamps bringing new life to the old and mundane street she walked everyday; the quiet sound the city traffic off in the distance, reminding her how fragile the silence in her neighborhood was; the crisp autumn breeze stinging her nose with cold air every time she inhaled – she felt at peace.

_Strange. I always thought being at peace meant you don't feel terrible. _Kagami chuckled to herself. _I have zero motivation to do anything and strained will power caused by forcing myself to do things anyway. I feel so tired that I could slip into a coma for a few weeks and I'd be totally fine with it. And yet… I feel at peace… I have no idea if that makes any sense._

She shook her head. Such morbid thoughts should be purged from her system. She didn't need them. They only made things worse. She needed a distraction. Something else to think about while walking home.

… _Never mind, looks like I'm already here…_

She pulled out her key and unlocked the door. "I'm home!" She called, taking off her shoes. From the sounds she heard from the kitchen, it looked like every one was already eating. _Great. Looks like I'm gonna have to explain to Dad why I was late…_

Entering the kitchen, Kagami was immediately greeted by a warm welcome and an invitation to sit and eat. "Oo. What's that?"

Miki smiled. "Just a little recipe I saw on TV. I thought I'd try it."

And so the six Hiiragis ate in silence, savoring the meal. Strangely enough Kagami was the first to finish. Tsukasa made no comment but both Matsuri and Inori had something to say.

"Seriously, how do you eat that fast? Won't you get a stomachache or something?" Matsuri asked

"You finished at the same time that I did, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I started earlier and you ate twice as much as I did."

"Besides, doesn't eating quickly mean you'll gain weight faster?" Inori added

Kagami frowned and rubbed her stomach. "I don't know… I'm actually starting to think I'm a little too thin, you know?" When Inori and Matsuri just stared at her, Kagami back up a bit. "I'm getting self conscious around Misao, okay? She's all buff and stuff while I'm just skin and bones."

The two glanced at each other before looking away from Kagami. Matsuri spoke first. "Well… you _have_ been looking a little thin recently. And not in a good way…"

"I suppose it's a good thing that you're eating more. Get some meat on your bones" Inori reasoned. "Maybe throw in some daily exercise and you can look as buff as your girlfriend."

"As buff as Misao, huh…?"

The scene played out in Kagami's mind. She and Misao running on the track. She keeps up with the brunette for a while but soon she is over taken. Even still, she presses on, trying to close the steadily increasing gap. Eventually she tires out and collapses on the floor panting. When she next opens her eyes, Misao is standing above her, offering her hand. She could already see the grin on Misao's face when she takes the hand.

Kagami smiled sadly. "Yeah… like that'll happen…"

After a few minutes, the last of the Hiiragis finished eating. However, no one left the table. They could tell that there was something to be said.

Tadao cleared his throat. "Kagami, I'd like to ask… why were you late to dinner today?"

Kagami didn't meet her father's eyes. "I stayed at school to watch Misao practice."

"Why didn't you tell us you were going to be late?"

_I told Tsukasa to tell you_, she wanted to say. In actuality, it was the truth but like hell was she going to get her sister in trouble as well. "I forgot…" She said flatly.

"… You… forgot…?" The man didn't seem like he believed it. He frowned and sighed. "I'm disappointed in you, Kagami. You never forgot things like that before…" When Kagami didn't react nor return his gaze, his expression softened. "Since you're usually good about things like this, I'll let you off the hook. Just don't let it happen again." With that, he stood up and brought his plate to the sink.

Kagami stood up as well, bringing her own dishes to be washed and made her way to her room.

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao arrived home that night after dinner – she got food from the convenience store on the way so she didn't mind. When she entered the house, there was silence – the all too familiar silence that has been lingering within the Kusakabe residence for a long time. Taking off her shoes, she began looking around. Upon entering the living room, she was greeted by her brother on the couch with a laptop, writing what looked be an essay. Misao frowned when she noticed how cautiously the boy turned to face her.

"You're late." He deadpanned, looking bored.

Of course he'd open with that statement. It was exactly the kind of thing Misao expected him to say. Granted, she knew it was only because she ended up missing dinner with him and the grandparents. An irritating aura that seemed to be exclusive to angry old people always radiated from them whenever they see or hear something they dislike. She could easily imagine the disapproval Masaru felt from them as they ate. Misao knew how unpleasant it felt so she didn't really blame him for being angry at her for being late.

However, her attention was brought back to something she noticed earlier. She decided to comment on this. "Do your sides still hurt?" She asked. She was trying to be delicate as she broached the subject. The topic wasn't one that she'd consider an easy one to talk about.

Masaru scowled. In his eyes there was hate, guilt, and profound confusion. Just looking into them made Misao's temper go up for no apparent reason. "That's none of your business" He snapped before returning to his laptop. "Get out of my sight."

Misao clenched her teeth. _I'm trying to be nice, you asshole. _The thought harshly. She tore her gaze away. _You've got __a__ broken rib. You shouldn't even be out of the hospital yet…_

As angry as Masaru made her, she just couldn't get worked up. She was just too worried. The boy put off seeing a doctor for two days and he insisted he stay hospitalized for only a week. _Of course, gramps and gran gave him what he wanted. __He was out of there by Friday last week._ Misao thought bitterly.

She stole one last glance at the boy before complying with his demand. She left the living room and made for her bedroom. Once she entered her own room and the door finally closed, she dropped her bag and threw herself onto the bed. "What the hell, Masaru…?" She muttered into the pillow.

**LUCKY STAR**

**I'd like to propose a challenge to my readers. Which sections of this chapter were written during my writing high and which were written after? Here's a hint, I have more to be proud of in the sections written during my high than after. Anyone who answers correctly gets my praise and an imaginary cookie.  
**

**Anyway, this character driven story is advancing at a steady pace. Not a lot of new things are happening but a lot of old stuff is beginning to resurface. Characters that have rarely been seen are starting to show up more, and stuff like that. A lot of questions are popping up. ******Will Masaru and Ayano ever get back together? **Who sent those letters? What are Minami and Yutaka gonna do about Patricia? Well the answer is no, I don't know, and you'll just have to find out. Those answers aren't set in stone, though. I have things planned for this story, majority is just me winging it.**

**Anyway, that was the new chapter. If you enjoyed, you're welcome. If not, I apologize. Til next chapter, then**


	33. A day in the rain

**So, does anyone remember that really boring episode from _The Melancholy of __Haruhi __Suzumiya_? The one Konata was watching in the _Lucky Star_ anime? I believe it was called _A Day in The Rain… _No?_  
_**

**Well, whatever. Here's the next chapter.  
**

**LUCKY STAR**

Wednesday was not a very eventful day. Just as it was predicted some days ago, it rained. It was not a heavy downpour, rather, a steady trickle – an almost rhythmic shower that accompanied the gray sky through out the day. That said, the students still felt mildly depressed at the turn the weather had taken. Very few were able to appreciate the quiet calm such a monotonous drizzle could bring with it.

Kagami was one of those people. Even as the other students assigned to stay and clean the classroom cleaned and went, Kagami remained, standing by the window, watching the rain drops fall. Thousands upon thousands of drops, all different yet the same, falling in unison yet at different times – it was beautiful – no, sad – no – she didn't know what to think. She just knew that such a mundane event somehow caught her interest. It caught it and held it just within arm's reach. She could easily take her eyes off the rain, yet she didn't. Why that was the case was perhaps the question that puzzled her the most.

"Kagami, are you okay?"

Kagami blinked. A familiar voice sounded behind her. She did not even hear the door open. She must have been more dazed that she realized. She turned and addressed the voice.

"Hello, Misao"

Misao looked at her with worried eyes – eyes that, when looking at her the way they were, just didn't look right. To her horror, she realized that for the longest time, Misao have been wearing a face like that because of her. It was terrible.

Misao blinked in surprise. "Kagami, you're crying. Is anything wrong?" She asked, taking a few steps closer.

Kagami brought her hand to her eyes. Much to her surprise, she _was _crying. "… Huh. So I am…" She chuckled quietly before whispering. "I don't know, Misao. _Is _anything wrong?" She turned her back to face the windows. "It doesn't feel like anything's wrong… but I don't feel like anything's right either." She whispered. "I'm tired, Misao… I'm tired and numb… I don't feel anything. The only thing I feel is the urge to go outside and get myself drenched in the rain" She chuckled again. "It's a stupid idea, I know. I'd get soaked and I'd probably catch a cold… But somehow, I really want to feel those drops hit my skin… Like a cold, wet massage, or something…" She managed a small smile. It wasn't often she'd adhere to silly analogies. It felt somewhat satisfying to make one up herself, despite her fatigue.

She vaguely felt two arms wrap around her waist and a chin rest itself on her shoulder. Misao embraced her gently. She felt warm – so very warm.

"Let's go." Misao said.

Kagami blinked and turned to face Misao. "… what?"

Mere inches from each other, Misao brought her face even closer, their cheeks rubbing against each other. "Let's go outside" She then released Kagami from the embrace and grabbed her hand, pulling her along as she walked out of the classroom.

"Wait, you took me seriously!?" Kagami stumbled a bit when Misao picked up the pace. Of course, that didn't stop Kagami from struggling. And struggle she did, for a time, until she eventually gave in and let the brunette drag her out of the building and into the freezing cold rain. "Hey, no, stop… Misao… You know what? Fine, let's go"

Kagami was hit with a surprising amount of sensations the moment she stepped outside. The constant drone of falling water was louder, no longer muffled by thick walls of concrete and the glass panels of the windows. The air was moist and cold, slipping past her layers of clothing and chilling her to the bone. It was so cold that, with every breath, her nose stung with the smell of the icy autumn wind.

The first drop of rain that hit her skin was electric, causing goosebumps all over her body. Then the next came. Then the next. In a mere moment, it felt like a static discharge occurred across her entire body. It was painful, but only for a second. After that, she began to calm down.

"Misao, why did you take me seriously!?" Kagami grumbled angrily. "Really, is a melancholic whisper all it takes to convince you that I really want something?"

Of course, her words were lost in the continuous pitter-patter of falling water. Not a word reached Misao's ears. The brunette simply stood in the middle of the school courtyard, staring quietly at the sky. Kagami could only smile sadly at the sight. She brought her own eyes up to see the rain drops speeding towards her, the gray of the sky making it difficult to see the grey of the water. A vast colorless expanse being brought down to the Earth. Such a simple sight… yet so breath taking.

She walked to Misao's side and brushed the brunette's hand with her own. Their fingers intertwined. Closing her eyes, Kagami let the rain drops continue falling on her, a smile slowly finding it's way on her face

"Maybe you were right, bringing me out here…" Kagami whispered. "I think I needed this…"

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori Tamura scribbled angrily at her sketchpad, tearing out the page and throwing it away in a crumpled ball immediately after she finished, only to start drawing once more. This cycle repeated for several iterations until the point where club activities had already ended and Hiyori was left in an empty club room with only the club president, Ko Yasaka, and the club's faculty advisor, Hikaru Sakuraba.

"Tamura, you're making a mess." Sakuraba scolded, not looking up from the book she was reading. Hiyori didn't look up from her sketch book either. Sakuraba sighed. "Yasaka, do something about your subordinate. I'd rather not act directly on this."

"Why not, teach?" Ko asked.

Sakuraba's grip on her book tightened slightly. "Let's just say I've recently lost confidence in myself when it comes to dealing with students' issues." She muttered cryptically. "Please, Yasaka."

"Okay then. Don't expect much, though. She's been like this for two weeks."

"So I've noticed. Go"

Ko walked over to Hiyori noting how severely pissed she was. "Hiyori, I'm sure you know I care very deeply for all of my subordinates…" She began, knowing full well how ridiculous her word choice was. "And recently, I noticed how you've been really angry at… well… everything." She coughed. "Anyway, I'd like to know what's wrong. You don't mind telling me, do you…?"

Hiyori looked up from her work, teary eyed, barely chocking down a sob. Ko stared at her with a blank smile. _Shit. I am not prepared for this._

"Patricia… she… she…"

"Go on…" Ko said slowly. _Patricia? Didn't she and Hiyori break up recently? More specifically, didn't _Hiyori _break up up with her?_

"I… I still like her"

Ko blinked. "What? Then why did you break up with her?"

Hiyori answered with a stream of words that Ko barely understood before she laid her head on the table, pulling at her hair. "Becauseshe'ssodenseandmanipulativeandjust… ahhhhh…"

As Ko took a few seconds to process Hiyori's sentence, Sakuraba watched from the teacher's table, quietly assessing the situation. _Tamura dated the American exchange student… __And she's 'dense' and 'manipulative'__… __hmm…_

"If you already know that she's manipulative, why do you still love her?" Ko asked with an increasingly confused look on her face. "From the way you describe her, I'd say you were in an abusive relationship. Why the hell would you want to go back?"

Hiyori didn't remove her head off the table. "I don't know!"

Ko made no comment but turned towards Sakuraba in an obvious plea for help. Sakuraba, however, had no idea what to tell her. Hiyori had taken the first step to moving on but apparently was not ready to take the next one. The teacher doubted that anything she said would have much effect – even less so if she used her usual methods of 'helping'. Of course, she couldn't just deny Ko, who was sending the biggest distress signal she had seen in as many years. _Fine. Let's see what I can do._

Sakuraba stood, walked over to Ko, and addressed Hiyori. "Tamura, if I may ask, have you ever tried talking to Miss Martin?"

"Yes, but she shuts me down every time for whatever topic she originally had planned."

"Have you ever put your foot down and _made her_ listen?"

Hiyori raised her head and turned to Sakuraba. "Yes! Multiple times! In the end, she started to ignore me!" She yelled. "And in the times where she _did _listen, she ended up pinning the blame on _me_!"

The teacher's jaw clenched. _Yasaka was correct. Why _would_ Tamura want to go back to her relationship with Martin? _As she wondered this, a thought popped into her mind – an idea that sounded quite plausible in their given situation.

"Hiyori Tamura, do you know the meaning of the term '_Stockholm Syndrome_'?" When Hiyori shook her head, Sakuraba continued. "Stockholm Syndrome originated from a bank heist in Stockholm where the robbers took hostages and said hostages ended up forming an emotional bond with their captors – to the point where they made it difficult for the police to rescue them. Basically, it's when the recipient of abuse grows close to the abuser."

"So you're saying I have Stockholm Syndrome?"

"You show signs of it, yes. Remember, I'm a Biology teacher, not a psychologist. I may very well be wrong." Sakuraba warned. "But never mind that. It's very likely that that you have it and I'd just like to point out that your wanting to go back is perfectly okay."

"So you're saying I should go back to her?"

"No, I said your wanting to go back is perfectly okay. I meant exactly what I said. What I'd like to know is if you believe Martin can change." Sakuraba said, voice steadily growing quieter yet all the sharper. "And if so, do you believe that you are the one that will change her?"

Hiyori looked down, lost in thought. After some time, she finally answered. "I don't know…"

"Are you afraid, Tamura-san?" Sakuraba asked softly.

"… A bit…" Hiyori answered, growing teary eyed.

"Well… that's normal." Sakuraba began walking back to her desk and began packing up. "Just remember, you still have your friends. You're not alone." Right before she exited the room, she turned back to Ko. "Yasaka, once Tamura's recovered a bit, lock up. It's raining outside and it doesn't look like it's about to stop. I'd rather not have you stranded here at school"

With that, Sakuraba left, leaving the two alone.

The moment was silent – Ko had nothing to say and neither did Hiyori – but neither girl felt any awkwardness. If anything, Hiyori was too upset to feel awkward, while Ko was never really affected by awkward silences.

"Hey, Tamura, you okay yet?" Ko asked. When Hiyori didn't answer, Ko asked again. "Tamura, are you okay yet?"

"… Ko-senpai, please… just… give me some time…" The raven haired girl said through clenched teeth. "I'll be okay in a bit…"

"Well, I can't exactly give you more time. It's getting late and, like teach said, the rain's not gonna stop any time soon." Ko reasoned. She began picking up the glasses-girl's stuff and packing it into said girl's bag. "C'mon, you can mope on the way home" Shouldering the bag, the blonde bag dragged Hiyori to her feet and began pushing her out the door. "Pick up the slack, Tamura. I can't carry you all the way there."

After some struggling on Ko's part, Hiyori finally began walking, albeit slowly.

Ko frowned. _Geez. That Martin girl really did a number on her…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, Konata, isn't that Onee-chan down there?"

Tsukasa stood in front of the window, watching two people stand in the middle of the rain. Confusion was a plenty as she had no clue why they were doing that. Worse, still, they looked like her sister and Misao.

Konata tip toed to see what Tsukasa saw. After some struggling, she answered. "Yes, Tsukasa. That girl down there is Kagami. The one next to her is probably Misakichi"

"Hmm…"

"It looks like they're having a moment of intimacy. Let's not invade their privacy, shall we?" Tsukasa turned to face Konata who gestured for her to leave her spot in front of the windows. "C'mon" She said, walking away

Tsukasa nodded, picking up her bag and then walking to Konata's side. "Where are we going?"

"Out the back entrance" The bluenette said

To which the taller girl stared in confusion. "There's a back entrance?"

Indeed, when the shorter girl lead her out of the shoe lockers, and around to the back of the building, there was a small gate at the back of the school. Compared to the front gate, it was pretty much just a door made of steel bars.

"Wow, I never noticed this before." Tsukasa said quietly.

She and Konata walked out the gate quietly. The only sound was the pitter-patter of the rain on the umbrella that they stood under. Tsukasa felt very excited to be somewhere new despite the fact that she was only a few steps away from the school she had grown so familiar with.

"Well, we skirted Kagami and Misao. They seemed to really be having a moment there." Konata chuckled. "I really wanted to just call out to them and ruin their moment just to see Kagami's face"

Tsukasa's curiousity was piqued. She looked at the shorter girl was a curious gaze. "Why didn't you?"

"Because Kagami still seems a little fragile. She's still recovering" Konata explained. "Besides, she looked so happy standing in the rain with Misakichi. It'd break my heart to to tear that away from her"

Tsukasa blinked _Oh, that's right…_ she realized. _I forgot that Konata still has feelings for Kagami…_

Perhaps she had grown used to it but the fact did not hurt her the way it did before. She remembered when she found out about it. She was crestfallen. She pretty much cried for an entire afternoon with Konata trying to calm her down the entire. It pained Tsukasa so much that Konata loved someone else even as she was in a relationship with her. Worse, still, she thought she'd never be able to compete. Kagami was an amazing person. She was so strong, and responsible, not to mention smarter and more athletic than Tsukasa. How could she match up to that? She might as well have just broken up with Konata the moment she found out.

Of course, she didn't do that. She knew just cutting things off would hurt Konata. She just couldn't bring herself to do something like that. So she did the only thing she could. She cried. She let it all out. Konata patiently listened as Tsukasa sobbed each and every pained word. She stayed with her. This confused Tsukasa a lot.

_Why did she stay?_ she had though. Konata loved someone else but stayed with Tsukasa. Why? Even when Konata answered the question, Tsukasa was still left asking. _She stayed because I'm her girlfriend. What does that even mean? _Tsukasa sure didn't know.

So Konata explained. She explained as best she could, though she herself wasn't sure of the exact reason either. It was unclear if it was a sense of duty, guilt, or budding feelings for Tsukasa, but Konata wanted to stay with her. And so she did.

But it took a long time for Tsukasa to accept Konata loving someone else. Sure, they had made up within a day, but the pain still lingered. Eventually, the pain did end up fading, and what replaced it was the wonderful feeling of love from the bluenette. But the pain never went away.

Tsukasa shook her head. She had to stop thinking about that. She was pretty sure it was jealousy and jealousy was a bad thing. It's better to think about the good things than the bad things. Her only problem was Konata's feelings for Kagami wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Tsukasa, you okay?" Konata asked. Suddenly _she _was the one holding the umbralla

Tsukasa blinked. She must have blanked out again. "Sorry. Was just thinking"

"What were you thinking of? You looked pretty sad about it…"

Tsukasa frowned. She knew they agreed that they would talk about the things they had problems with but it was easier said than done, especially if it involved topics as painful as what she was wrestling with in her mind.

"You still like Kagami, right…?"

Konata remained silent for a long time. They stood in the rain, unmoving, staring intensely at each other. Konata looked down. "… Yeah… I still have feelings for her…"

Tsukasa sighed. She wasn't surprised yet her heart still sank. Still, it didn't make her love Konata any less. That said, she remembered her epiphany some days ago.

"I love you" Tsukasa said, voice clear and direct. One could almost assume it was acting had she not been looking straight at Konata. When the shorter girl brought her head back up and returned her gaze, Tsukasa repeated it. "I love you, Konata Izumi"

Tsukasa could sense the blend of emotions swirling inside Konata. It was written right on her face. She was happy. She was hurt. She was proud. She was confused. But more than that, she was absolutely terrified.

She let go of the umbrella, letting it fall to the ground. "Tsukasa… you just…"

"I swear this is true." Tsukasa said, rain slowly trickling down her face.. "I love you."

They stood in the rain, saying nothing. Konata stood there, shocked and teary eyed. In front of her was Tsukasa, surprisingly calm. The taller girl took a step forward and embraced the shorter, quietly singing a verse of a song Konata had once sang to Tsukasa all those months ago.

_~Close your eyes…  
Don't you cry…  
Love's around you…  
In time, you'll fly…~_

Konata looked up at her, rubbing tears out of her eyes and smiling wryly. "I've played so many visual novels. Hundreds of fictional girls have confessed their love for me. You'd think I'd be used to this…" She returned Tsukasa's hug, burying her face in the taller girl's bosom "But I'm not… I don't know what to say Tsukasa… Just…"

"Then don't say anything. Just promise me you'll stay with me…" Tsukasa whispered softly.

The answer came quietly. "…I'll stay…"

For a time, the two remain intertwined.

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki and Minami quietly watched the millions of drops of rain collide against Miyuki's bed room window. The sound of water impacting the roof left a faint yet constant drone echoing though out the building, leaving the two's silence to be not quite as silent as they'd wish. Not that they'd notice. They had a lot on their minds.

"So has Yutaka shown any more '_differences_'?" Miyuki asked.

Minami shook her head. "It's the same as always. She gets a letter which she reads, curtly tears up, and throws into the trash."

"Have you received any more letters?"

Minami shook her head again. "They were all sent to Yutaka. But in a way, whoever is doing this is hurting me much more than when they were sending me letters directly." She whispered angrily. "I wish I put a stop to it right this instant…"

"I've asked around. No one was seen around your lockers recently. The paper is standard 8x10 that's sold literally every where. The ink is also found an most printers on the market. As far as we can tell, anyone and no one sent those letters." Miyuki sighed. "They hide their footprints well, whoever they are."

"I would just ignore it if it wasn't for the fact that they're targeting Yutaka…"

"Hmm…" Miyuki walked away from the window, her back to Minami. "Are they, though? Yutaka seems more angered than hurt." She turned her head to look at the mint haired girl, eyes narrowing. "You, on the other hand, seem to be experiencing the brunt of the distress from this situation."

Minami frowned. "Their target is me…?"

"Think about it. You may very well be the most intimidating person in this school. For one, you are quite tall. For another, nothing seems to bother you. Whatever attempts to make you feel bad aren't likely to succeed." Miyuki pushed up her glasses. "But Yutaka seems to be the one thing that can break your stoic mask. It makes perfect sense that they'd attack her to get to you"

Minami's scowl deepened. "But…"

"But it's only a theory." The pinkette admitted. "One of many. I feel like that one's my most valid."

Minami's expression softened. "I… It almost felt like you were the one who sent the letters…"

Miyuki blinked. "Eh?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little paranoid. The way you described your theory just… it makes me feel like you're the one who sent those letters. My mind came to you because… well… you're the only one who knows us that well…"

Miyuki stared at Minami, lost in thought before she sighed. "Well, there goes my almost perfect theory. You seem to have found a rather large hole in it." When Minami simply looked back with confusion, Miyuki explained. "I did not take that into account. I've forgotten how much more open you are to me and Yutaka compared to everyone else." She then looked at Minami seriously. "Do you truly believe that I would do that to you?"

Minami shook her head. "I don't think it's in your nature."

"It's not?" Miyuki pouted. "Do you really feel like I'm completely harmless?"

Minami chuckled. "No, not _completely _harmless. Your intelligence comes across as intimidating at times but your personality and occasional clumsiness more than compensates"

The pinkette sighed. "And here I thought I managed to act threatening, even though it wasn't intentional…"

After a short pause, Minami broke the silence. "I'd like a change of topic… possibly… another thing that's bothering me…"

"I take it you mean Patricia Martin?" Miyuki asked with a tilt of her head.

Minami nodded. Indeed, the blonde exchange student was on her mind. A big 'why' kept repeating in the stoic's head as she thought about her. Why did she act the way she did? Why does she seem so unaffected by it all? Why does she believe that she's in the right? There was only one person who could answer those questions and Minami had seen very little for her for most of the week.

"I cannot seem to get over it. I do not understand but I truly wish that I did."

"I have more theories about that. I doubt it will help but I could tell you about them." Miyuki suggested.

As tempting as the offer was to Minami, the pinkette's theories were so many and varied. Not one seemed less likely than the other with the little information given to them - which made it difficult for Minami to assess the situation. On one hand, Patricia was more at fault than Hiyori in everything that they went through. On the other hand, Patricia seemed quite adamant that Hiyori explicitly tell her what was wrong. From what Minami heard, she also chooses whether to listen to Hiyori or not. What could possibly be the reason for her to act like that? Patricia wasn't inherently a bad person. Why then was she like that to Hiyori? Was it the sex? Hiyori's submissive attitude? The questions just kept piling up.

"I'd rather not hear any more theories. They don't answer the question, they only give us more to ask."

"Well then, I don't know what to say to you. On the topic of Patricia Martin, I doubt I'll be able to give you any new insights until we gain new information." Miyuki gave Minami a look.

Minami tilted her head curiously. "Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

"I'm sorry Minami. I know you hate prying but to gain new information on this matter, we'll have to gather it ourselves. That means prying into lives that are not our own."

Minami frowned. She had, for the longest time, hated those who pry. Like Yutaka had said before, there are some secrets people would rather _keep _secret. Whether good or bad, it had to be their decision and theirs alone to let others know about it. She hated being forced to talk, and prying often forced people to do just that.

But it was necessary. Minami knew this. New information cannot be gained if one does not strive to gather it. And for once, she had something she just couldn't let go for some reason. She needed to know the answer. Just like with the letter, she wanted it to stop. She wanted everything to go back to the way they once were. And if not, she wanted her friends to receive the closure they need.

"I wish all of this would just end. I wish I could wake up and suddenly everything's back to normal"

Miyuki sighed. "Alas, this is not a dream, but reality…"

There was a short silence, only broken when Miyuki stood and walked to the door. "Shall we have dinner now? I'm sure Honoka-san made quite the tear for us?"

Minami tilted her head once more, a smile slowly finding its way on her face. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. It's as good a reason as any to shelf this topic for later" Minami stood and followed Miyuki out the room, turning off the lights before they closed the door.

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka laid her head on her desk. She had just finished her homework, not quite sure whether what she wrote was correct. Such was the problem of an English essay. Aside from the content needing to be on topic, it also had to be in English. Her content may very well be correct. The grammar and spelling might not.

_I wish I could just ask Patty-chan for help. But she doesn't want to talk to us anymore…_

Yutaka sighed. As sad as that fact was, even sadder was what happened between Patricia and Hiyori. Yutaka truly did believe they were a good match for each other. They had similar interests and they were already friends. Why _wouldn't _they be a match, right? But she never imagined them to change so suddenly just because of a relationship – Patricia being the most prominent. She had always been so nice. A bit odd at times, but she never thought the blonde could be so insensitive.

_What are we going to do? We can't just leave it at that, can we? Hiyori and Patricia should make up. They're friends!_

She sighed once more. There was little they could do. Taking Patricia's side on the matter earlier had put quite a noticeable strain on Yutaka and Minami's relationship with Hiyori. Later realizing that Hiyori's overreactions might not have been overreactions at all made for strained relations with Patricia as well. Their friends have stopped talking to them, and all of it was their fault…

As such dark thoughts began clouding Yutaka's mind, she quickly made attempts to clear her head, only succeeding when she heard a familiar voice call from downstairs.

"Yo, Yu-chan. I'm home!"

Konata was finally back from school. She had taken a lot longer to get back than Yutaka expected.

The door to Yutaka's room opened and Konata entered. "Hey, you okay yet? I got really worried when Minami texted me during fourth period that she was bringing you back home."

"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better" Yutaka chimed. "Turns out that I just ate some bad meat at the cafeteria. I just needed to get it out of my system."

Konata smiled and shook her head. "Really, though, I thought Minami always brought lunch for you?" She smile became a smirk "Speaking of her bringing lunch, you two have got to be the ones of our group who've kissed each other the most amount of times"

Yutaka blushed. "W-what?"

"You two share lunch boxes don't you? Indirect kisses galore!"

The redhead covered her cheeks with her palm, a neutral face barely masking the smile forming on her lips. "Th-thats… just…" She felt hot… and light headed…

Konata chuckled and walked up to Yutaka, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, come on, no need to be so embarrassed. Breathe, Yutaka." She said calmly. When Yutaka finally stopped feeling so dizzy, Konata continued. "Sorry about that. Didn't expect something like that to happen. Anyway, why didn't she bring you lunch?"

"She forgot."

Konata blinked. "Well, I didn't expect that either… huh, guess even stoic types are prone to air headed qualities…" She trailed off.

"Anyway, there anything else you need?" Konata asked "I'm gonna go change and start making dinner."

Yutaka looked at Konata and nodded. "I've actually been wondering about this since you entered but why are you so wet?" Indeed, the bluenette was forming a small puddle on the floor.

Konata sweatdropped. "Eh, long story…" She said, scratching her head. "I'll tell you during dinner."

As Konata moved the leave, Yutaka suddenly remembered something. "Oh, wait. Uncle Sojiro called. He said his client extended. He won't be home til later tonight"

Konata winced. "Damn it, Ms. Kuroi. This is the fifth time this month. You had better not have fallen in love with dad…" She muttered in annoyance.

Yutaka blinked. "What?"

"Nothing. Never mind. Gonna go change out of these clothes now." With that, Konata left, leaving a small puddle where she last stood and a trail of water leading to the door. After a few seconds, a Konata's voice called from behind the door. "I'll mop that in a bit, don't worry"

Yutaka said for the third time in as many minutes. She enjoyed being with her cousin. She always managed to make the redhead smile when she was feeling down. In any case, she at least always made life interesting. That alone made her great company.

"I wish I was more like Onee-chan…" Yutaka thought. "Or like Minami… or Kagami and Tsukasa senpai…" As she trailed off, a fourth and final sigh came and went.

**L****UCKY STAR**

Misao arrived home, once again feeling more than a little upset. She didn't tire easily and she had a hardy constitution. She doubted she'd get sick. But still, she felt exhausted for some reason. It was just something that didn't sit well with her. What made things worse was getting upset about it seemed to tire her out even more, thus making her more upset.

As the vicious cycle continued in the background of Misao's mind, she opened the door and entered her house, quietly wishing that she could cause the water in her rain-soaked clothes and hair to instantaneously evaporate at will. A voice in her head, a voice that sounded surprisingly like Kagami's, then scolded her, saying she'd get severe burns if she did that. Misao removed her shoes, grumbling that she'd get that hypo-thera-whatsit thing if she didn't. The imaginary argument was ended when the voice simply suggested to just change into some dry clothes. The brunette paused right as she took her first step down hall, thinking to herself how utterly obvious that answer was.

She shook her head. _What am I doing? I'm hearing voices inside my head and I'm actually having conversations with them. Am I going crazy or am I just really tired? _She asked. The voice in her head answered with a puzzling 'yes', leaving Misao completely unable to respond. _Whatever._

"Oi, Gramps!? Gran!? Masaru!?" Misao called.

"In here!"

A voice from the living room replied. It was Masaru's, sounding quite a bit less pained compared to yesterday or the day before. This made Misao feel surprisingly happy, or at least less upset. She poked her head into the living room.

Masaru did a double take when he saw her before scowling at her. "What happened to you? Did you jump off a bridge with your clothes on?" He asked mockingly before returning to his work

"I forgot my umbrella…" Misao said quietly.

On the floor, he sat, typing quietly on a laptop. Across the coffee table was a familiar face who Misao had not seen much as of late, also working on something on her laptop. Dark orange hair tied in a pony tail with bangs that reach just a little past her eyebrows. Kindhearted eyes that hid a paralyzing glare. And a smile that could terrify anyone under the right circumstances. Across the table was Ayano's sister, Akira Minegishi.

"Hello, Misao" Akira greeted. "Been a long time, hasn't it?"

Misao nodded. "Yeah. Really long time…" _The last time you were even here was… was when Ayano and Masaru started dating… wow… That can't be just a coincidence_. "So, what's up? Why are you here?"

"Just working on some stuff with Masaru over here." Answered as she typed away. "Remember that little collaborative project we started a few years back?"

"You mean that video game?"

"Yeah. We're trying to resume development."

Her curiosity piqued, Misao moved to sit down at the table with them, and perhaps ask more questions, only for Masaru to stop her mid stride.

"Oh, _dear sister_. I'd like to point out that you're still dripping wet." Masaru snapped, not taking his eyes off his screen. "Get out of here and come back when you're dry"

"Yeah, you're gonna catch a cold if you stay like that" Akira added.

Misao nodded. "Good point. See you guys in a bit." With that she walked out of the room.

As she stepped out of view she heard Akira's voice – a faint whisper. "Is it me, or does she seem less… energetic?"

"That little girlfriend of hers is starting to get to her. She's been arriving home looking like shit for the past month" Masaru muttered.

"Right, the _Hiiragi _girl. Shoulda' known." Akira grumbled in disgust. "Still though, you're one to talk. You're not looking too good yourself."

"Well, you'll have your sister to thank for that." Masaru snapped. "She kicked me. Hard."

Akira growled "Yeah. She didn't say a single damn thing to me about it, either. Uhh, I'll fucking kill her for that…"

Misao tilted her head curiously as she took her first step up the stairs. Akira used to really like Kagami. Misao couldn't understand why Akira seemed so opposed to the her girlfriend. _I just don't get it…_ Then there was Ayano. What reason could there possibly be for her not to not tell anyone about how she kicked her boyfriend and broke his ribs? _… Actually, thinking about it, I probably wouldn't want to tell people that I broke my boyfriend's ribs by repeatedly kicking him either. It's kinda obvious now that I think about it._

She opened the door the her bedroom and began changing.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami arrived home completely drenched.

The commute home would probably be the most anxiety-ridden commute she would have ever experienced... if she had enough energy to feel self conscious.

She could feel the eyes staring at her and Misao on the train, silently judging her. She'd normally lose her mind fixating on those judging individuals but she was too tired to care. She supposed it was a good thing. Better she feel physically drained rather than emotionally drained.

She walked into the house, leaving little hallway puddles in her wake. Entering the kitchen, she found Tsukasa and her mother quietly talking as the rice cooker did its job.

Miki gave Kagami a once over, frowning at the water gathering at her feet. She sighed. "You two are certainly twins. Tsukasa was dripping wet when she arrived as well."

Kagami raised an eyebrow and looked at Tsukasa. Sure enough, her hair was still damp. Tsukasa smiled at her, embarrassed.

"Hey, uh… Onee-chan?" Kagami leaned in and Tsukasa whispered in her ear. "I saw you and Misao standing in the rain. I haven't told mom yet"

Kagami blushed. "You saw that?" She hissed. She then shook her head slowly, sighing. "Fine, you can tell her. She's gonna ask about it anyway."

Sure enough, Miki asked that question as soon as Kagami turned back to face her. "So, if you're done whispering, may I ask why you two were wet from the rain when you got here?" She glanced at Kagami and smirked. "Or still wet, in Kagami's case"

"Yeah… about that…" As the words formed in her head, she immediately drowned them out. The thought brought blood rushing to her cheeks. She couldn't say it aloud.

Kagami nudged her sister. Understanding her twin's meaning, Tsukasa answered for her. "Kagami was standing in the rain with Misao for some reason"

Miki looked confused. "What? Why?"

"I don't know."

Miki turned once more to Kagami who averted her eyes. "… Look, I don't know either. I just really wanted to, okay…?"

The mother nodded slowly before turning her attention to Tsukasa. "What about you?"

"I confessed to Konata and she accidentally let go of the umbrella" Tsukasa answered cheerfully.

The sound of something wet and heavy hitting the reached Kagami's ears. She noticed a weight had been lifted from her hands. She must have let go of her bag in surprise.

"You… confessed?" Kagami asked slowly.

"Yeah. I love Konata." The younger twin's smile was the largest Kagami had ever seen it.

"I… just… wow…"

_Why does it still hurt? Tsukasa and Konata had been dating for months. I've been dating Misao for just as long. How come it still hurts to hear that Tsukasa is in love with Konata? __I know I have feeling__s__ for Konata as well but still, she and Tsukasa are together. This shouldn't bother me… at least not anymore…_

_Right…?_

"We can all talk about that later." Miki said "Go get changed. Once Inori and Tadao get here, we can have dinner"

Kagami felt relief wash over her. She had a sudden want to leave the room and her mother graciously gave her a chance to do so. At any rate, she was thankful for the sudden topic change.

"What about Matsuri?" She asked out of impulse, quietly cursing herself for not just agreeing and going upstairs.

Miki smiled. "She's on a date with her boyfriend. Don't mind her"

"I still can't believe she got a boyfriend."

"If I recall correctly, you said a few years ago that the last thing you wanted in life was a relationship. Look at you now" Miki said teasingly. Tsukasa giggled.

"M-mom!" Kagami blushed.

"Go on. You'll catch a cold in those soaked clothes."

"Yes, ma'am" Kagami sighed and left for her room. She turned back for one last glance. Miki gave her a knowing look. Kagami smiled. "Thanks, mom" she whispered before finally exiting the room.

**LUCKY STAR**

[LUUUUUCKKYYYY CHAAAANEL!]

[Hiya luckies! I am Akira Kogami, your navigator]

[And I am Minoru Shiraishi, the assistant]

[Oh, Minoru, this week has just been so depressing. The dark clouds and the rain.]

[Yeah. It's terrible isn't it? Stemming from that is even _more_ things that make you miserable - like the crowded trains and the traffic. Boy am I happy that I'm here in this studio with you. Compared to being out there, being in here is _way _better]

[_You make it sound like it's neither choice is preferable_]

[Well. If I'll be honest, I'd really want to be home right now and have a hot bath. Don't you agree, Ms Akira?]

[_Oh… well…_ Yeah, I totally agree. I'm sure most of our listeners agree as well!]

[Most of you guys are either already home or really want to be home right about now. As such, here's our next song, _And I'm Home_, the ending song of _Mahou Shojou Madoka Magica _episode 8. Enjoy!]

~song begins playing~

[_I have to admit, that was a smooth save back there_]

[Thanks, I-]

[_Too bad the segue you used to talk about the music sucked._]

[Hey!]

~lyrics start~

**LUCKY STAR**

**You have no idea how much I hated writing Yutaka's section. If you haven't noticed, this chapter marks the first POV section she's had since chapter like chapter 22 or something. Uhhh. It's so hard to get a good handle on her personality! I just hate it!**

**Anyway, we have the return of two more characters – Akira Minegishi and Ko Yasaka – plus a section that I haven't written in a long time.  
Lucky Channel is quite fun to write and I miss it a lot. I really _should _have added in Lucky Star segments the last few chapters.  
Ko was in the festival arc, yeah, but the last we saw her was in _Before The Play, __w_hich was six chapters ago.  
For Akira Minegishi, well, Ayano's starting to get a bigger roll in the story, why not her sister, right?  
Speaking of Ayano, she was mentioned once and wasn't in this chapter at all. Talk about hypocrisy. I'm sorry I wasn't able to have her in this chapter. She simply wasn't needed yet.**

**On a note only passably related to this story, summer in the Philippines is starting. That means that my update schedule will become weekly again or I won't update for two months (or both).**

**I have summer classes and they're actually more strenuous than my semester classes: Monday to Friday from 8 to 3. Basically, it's like I'm in high school again except the time school starts is a few hours later and the time it ends is earlier. That and there's only two subjects.**

**If I do end up not updating for a while, hopefully I won't leave you guys hanging for too long. We'll just have to see how everything goes in the next few weeks, right? Til next chapter then!**


	34. The sky is still crying

**So, I've been trying to get a chapter out every two weeks and this is a day late because I recently started binge-watching _Hyouka_. That said, I LOVED _Hyouka_. As a person who's real big on the whole differing perspectives thing, this show definitely helped me look at things from a different perspective.  
**

**Anyway, last chapter was a boring day in which not much happens in terms of plot but a fair amount of characterization took place. But that was just one random day in the rain. And this one is another, except this time, it's a bit different. _The sky is still crying_ and I doubt it'll stop any time soon. Let's just hope the rain doesn't get stronger.**

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy if you can. And if you can't, I'm sorry.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori was really angry. She's been that way for the past week. Perhaps it was because, for the past five days, she spent all her time in the clubroom making a mess, generally wasting her time and resources by trying to draw but throwing away whatever she drew the moment she finished. If one were to pick up one of the crumpled pieces of paper – any one of them would do – they'd find that it was actually a rather nicely drawn and well endowed girl. If one were to pick up a different one – again, any would do – they'd find that it was _also _a nicely drawn, well endowed girl. Rather, it's the same girl. Each and every drawing was always the same girl.

And that girl was Patricia Martin.

Hiyori didn't know why she kept drawing the blonde. She just drew and suddenly found that it was Patricia's face that was staring at her on the page which she then tore out of her sketchpad, crumpled up, and threw over her shoulder. She had wasted at three sketchpads doing that and was already well into using up a fourth.

Right as she realized who she was drawing, the raven haired girl glared at the paper. Rather than tearing out the page and crumpling it, she instead closed her sketchpad and violently chucked it forward, not noticing that someone was in her line of fire.

Said someone was Ko Yasaka, whose quick reflexes allowed her to duck under the projectile pad of papers. It spun wildly over her before hitting the blackboard on the other side of the class room. Ko stood and stared at the pad as it slide down the board and fell to the floor before turning to Hiyori and giving her a look.

Catching herself, Hiyori quickly bowed and apologized,. "I'm sorry, Ko-senpai!"

Ko slowly shook her head. "Geez, Tamura, try to be more mindful of your surroundings and junk like that."

"I'm _really _sorry"

"Whatever, it's fine." Ko sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "It's time to lock up. You're gonna have to pick up all this paper." She said, gesturing at the crumpled papers on the floor.

"Right… Gotcha"

As the two got to work picking up the pieces of crumpled paper, Ko started talking. "You know, you've gotta learn some other form of venting other than drawing because at the rate you're going, you're gonna clean the earth of trees with how much paper you're using up." She said, half jokingly, half seriously.

"I'm _sorry_, alright?" Hiyori said with an exasperated sigh. "I'm just… really out of it… Been out of it for a while…"

"Yeah, we could tell…" Ko muttered. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke back up. "Wanna talk about it?"

Hiyori gave her a look. "Senpai…"

"Hey, just a suggestion." The blonde said innocently, hands raised in surrender. "Not like it's bad to talk about that stuff" She then muttered after, "whatever that stuff is…"

Hiyori frowned as she gathered up the last of the papers and dumped them to the nearby trash bin, filling it completely. She then glared at Ko. "You know what? Fine, let's talk"

Ko gave an involuntary gulp as the raven haired glasses girl picked up her bag and walked out the room. She had the impression that Hiyori wanted her to follow. So follow she did, picking up her own bag and tailing Hiyori.

**LUCKY STAR**

The walk to the train station was quiet and not exactly enjoyable. The sky above was still very much a thick blanket of clouds threatening to release the water they held, which only worsened the fact that Tsukasa and company were so tense they could snap at any moment.

Of course, the streets were pretty much empty. After two straight days of constant drizzle and an entire week of overcast skies, people weren't inclined to be outside at all. Most people take the bus to the station instead of braving the possibility of rain, umbrella in hand.

It is pretty much obvious that Tsukasa and company were of the latter category. Kagami had an automatic umbrella hanging from her wrist by a strap, while Tsukasa kept her own in her bag. As for Konata and Misao, they didn't seem to have one – though it's very likely that they wouldn't care if they got rained on anyway.

Kagami walked up front, not even looking back since they left the school gates. Konata straddled at the back, with barely any presence – a far cry from her normally attention grabbing personality. And Tsukasa and Misao walked, in between the two, quietly loathing the tension they were in.

What else could they do? They were in the middle of the streets and, as empty as they seemed, they'd still cause a scene if they tried to address the situation at hand. Konata and Misao probably wouldn't care about causing a scene but the two Hiiragis sure did.

"Hey… Imouto" Misao whispered. "What do you think's wrong?"

Tsukasa frowned "This is all my fault…"

"What are you talking about?" Misao asked, raising an eyebrow.

Looking towards Kagami, looking back at Konata, and then returning her gaze Misao, Tsukasa gave a pained smile. "I sorta confessed to Konata last Wednesday…"

"Wha…?" Misao tilted her head curiously. "Aren't you already dating? Like, for three months now?"

"Ehe?" Tsukasa giggled in embarrassment. "Well, I know how Kagami didn't admit that she likes you until just a few months ago?"

"Yeah…" Comprehension soon dawned on the brunette's face. "So… it's the same with you?"

Tsukasa nodded in reply. "I confessed to Konata… and I told sis about it not long after."

"Huh. So _that's _why those two are acting like that…" Misao muttered. "I don't like it…"

"Me neither." The younger twin shook her head. "If I knew this would happen, I might have never confessed in the first place."

The brunette stopped abruptly and looked Tsukasa in the eyes. "Imouto, I don't ever what to hear those words from you ever again" She said seriously.

Tsukasa blinked at Misao in confusion.

"Do you regret confessing?" the brunette asked

Tsukasa didn't move. She didn't answer. Really, what could she say that she wouldn't just immediately retract? She needed more time to answer that question. Of course, the thought came to her that if she _really_ didn't regret it, the answer would most definitely be _'no, she didn't regret it'_. Yet there she was, agonizing over her answer. Tsukasa bit her lip and looked down.

Misao on the other hand, kept her unyeilding gaze upon Tsukasa. A weird sense of pride welled up inside her for some reason. Perhaps a few months ago, her very same gaze would send Tsukasa into a fit of blushing and averted eyes. Now, she seemed to hold her ground, at least more than she used to.

Then again, she looked far from the picture of confidence, with a frown on her face and a down turned gaze. What Misao was doing was obviously upsetting Tsukasa. The guilt gnawed at the brunette, but she kept up her stare. Only when Konata intervened did Misao finally relent.

The bluenette stood between the two and gave Misao a stoic stare. "Stop that" She said flatly.

Misao looked away. "Right… sorry. Didn't think that through…" She said, scratching her head.

Far in front, Kagami simply looked on and said nothing. The others didn't know what she was feeling, but Tsukasa did…

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami and Yutaka walked the school halls with a sense of purpose. That said, they still looked like they had absolutely no idea where they were going. An explanation is probably in order.

For the past two days, Minami and Yutaka have been trying – and failing – to get Hiyori and Patricia to reconcile. Hiyori seemed a bit more open to the possibility of apologizing, provided that Patricia be the one to apologize first, which the two considered to be great progress compared to before. Unfortunately, they met a large stumbling block in their self appointed mission when they went to talk to Patricia. She was avoiding them.

Yes, the American exchange student was avoiding the two and no matter what Minami and Yutaka tried, Patricia always seemed to leave the room or hallway the moment they were in sight. They had to resort to increasingly questionable interception and capture tactics in order to even catch a glimpse of the blonde. That said, it was only their second day in pursuit and the guilt was already starting to eat them alive.

"It doesn't feel like we're trying to help them become friends again" Yutaka said quietly. "It feels like we're trying to hunt her down and kill her…"

Minami raised an eyebrow at the analogy. It was a bit extreme to hear such a thing considering it came out of Yutaka's mouth. She made it a point to tell the red head. "That comparison sounds a little morbid, Yutaka"

"Eh… yeah I guess you're right…" Yutaka shook her head. "But it's how it feels to me. We shouldn't have to do this, Minami"

The stoic nodded. She's right. They _shouldn't _have to do this. They weren't the border patrol chasing down an illegal immigrant, they were two high school girls who wanted to talk to their friend. All this predator-prey stuff had to stop.

Of course, it would only stop when Patricia decides she wass no longer a fugitive on the run from her two captors. Whatever her reason was for believing that was the case, Minami didn't know. Quite frankly, she didn't even care. She just wanted it to stop so they all could finally talk things through

"C'mon, I think she went this way" Minami said, turning left at the next juncture.

It seemed like it wouldn't stop any time soon…

**LUCKY STAR**

As the train doors opened, Konata and Misao stepped off, leaving Kagami and Tsukasa on the train. Once again, the two Hiiragis were left alone with each other after their respective girlfriends dropped off at their stop. They both still dislike how their own stop was still some ways off.

Tsukasa stood next to Kagami, whose grip on the railing remained tight. The older twin wouldn't meet Tsukasa's eyes. She wouldn't reply when the younger tried to speak to her. Tsukasa quite easily gave up trying. She knew if she kept kept at it, she'd just cause a scene. Like Kagami, Tsukasa didn't want that. So, instead, they opted to wait until they were off the train.

Eventually, they reached their stop and stepped off. What came after was a few more minutes of quiet walking. The sky didn't help in making the silence any less tense – the blanket of white and gray only seemed to make their walk feel more oppressive.

Finally, they reached the street where they knew they could begin talking with no one overhearing – everyone who lived on that street was either at work or still in school. So they talked.

Tsukasa was the first to speak. "Um… Kagami…"

"I'm sorry" Kagami said suddenly.

"_I'm sorry_?" Tsukasa repeated with a confused tilt of her head.

"I'm sorry, just…" Kagami looked at Tsukasa, frowning. "Tsukasa, my feelings for Konata don't matter. You told Konata that you love her and I honestly think Konata loves you back. I don't have a say on what should happen… Just… just forget about me…"

"But… I don't want to hurt you, sis…"

Kagami chuckled. "Like I said, my feelings don't matter. You and Konata should be happy. Who cares about me? Don't let me be the reason for you to hold back."

Tsukasa frowned. "But… _I _care…" She whispered. "And Misao cares… and Konata cares… We _all _care…" She continued, voice growing louder. "And I'm not holding back. Why are you?"

Kagami scowled. "What are you even talking about?" She asked harshly. "And you should _stop_ caring. You should _all _stop caring. I mean, the only reason Konata hasn't returned your feelings is because she knows I still like her! She should just ignore me and be happy – be happy with you!"

"Kagami… Kagami, you don't understand…" Tsukasa's voice was soft and pained. Kagami truly didn't understand, and the act of telling her the truth would probably hurt more than the just knowing it…

"Well, what!? What don't I understand!?"

Even as she said those words, the sky began to fall. Rain drops hit the ground in a small trickle.

Tsukasa took a deep breath and answered. "Konata's only holding back because she has feelings for you too!" As those words left her mouth, a certain pain seemed to pulse from her heart.

The stunned silence afterward slowly grew awkward. The only sound was the soft pitter-patter of rain yet the lack of words said more than what was needed. That one sentence caused a chain reaction in the minds of both girls. Whether it resulted in an emotional break down of one, the other, both, or neither was up in the air. They simply stood and said nothing.

Even after a few minutes, the only peep to be made was an "Oh" from Kagami.

"_Oh_?" Tsukasa repeated. "This isn't the first time something like this happened, Kagami. Konata said the same exact thing to you, all those months ago…"

As the drizzle grew stronger, Kagami couldn't help but remember the first day of classes since summer ended. She and Konata had shared an umbrella as they walked to the station. And as they walked, they started arguing – screaming at each other until they were eventually crying on the sidewalk, getting drenched in the rain.

"_Then forget about me! If I'm the one going between you two then take me out of your life! Be happy with her!_"

Konata's words echoed in Kagami's head. And her reply echoed even louder

"_But I don't want you out of my life!_"_Kagami had said, sobbing hopelessly on her knees._

As the memories came back to her, the pony tailed girl couldn't help but sink back down to her knees once more.

"She wants you in her life, Kagami" Tsukasa said. "And I want you in it too…"

"But… wouldn't it be easier…?" Kagami asked, almost desperately "It would be easier if you all just ignored me, right?"

"Do you know what I felt when I found out Konata said what she said to you?" Tsukasa asked, eyes uncharacteristically cold. "It hurt. It hurt so much that I can't even describe it." She knelt in front of Kagami and looked her in the eyes. "Kagami, I had a feeling you'd do something like this. And if _I _felt it, I'm sure Misao felt it too. It _hurts_, Kagami, knowing the one you love is willing to ignore their own feelings for someone else's happiness. I felt it when I found out about Konata and Misao felt it when she found out about my confession…"

Kagami clenched her fists and broke eye contact, opting to look at the rain drops splattering on the ground.

Tsukasa leaned forward and embraced Kagami. "You know why Misao got angry at me? I was almost willing to deny my own feelings, just for you. I only just now figured how much doing that would hurt you. _Would_ it hurt you?"

"… y-yeah, actually. It would" Kagami said, chocking back a sob. "I'm sorry… just… I… I don't even know anymore… I'm messed up…"

They stayed like that for a while but eventually, the rain began to pick up. Kagami rubbed the tears and rain out of her face and brought out her umbrella. With a click, the canopy opened and they were protected from the rain.

The twins stood, the younger putting her hand on the older's shoulder. "Kagami, we're not done…" Tsukasa said sadly. "But I guess it can wait til we get home. The rain's getting stronger"

"R-right…" Kagami breathed, not quite recovered from her emotional outburst.

"Don't worry, I'm still here. I'll be with you all the way home." The younger twin said reassuringly. It seemed to help.

As they picked up their bags and dusted themselves off, a thought came to Kagami. "Remember the first day of classes after summer when it rained?" She asked quietly "Miyuki said she didn't bring an umbrella but later that day when she caught me and Konata in the rain, she had an umbrella with her…"

Tsukasa smiled. "I wonder where she got it"

The younger twin was happy for the change in topic. If anything, at least she knew the older twin would be able to get home with no further breakdowns – considering she was able to go off on a random tangent, Tsukasa sure _hoped _she would be okay…

**LUCKY STAR**

"So… Chibi…"

As Konata and Misao went for a light jog on the way home, they spoke for what seemed like a long time. So long, in fact that they had to stop and find some cover as a drizzle started up again for the third time that day – and it didn't seem like it would stop this time, either.

"Chibi… what do you do when you feel tired…?" Misao asked. "I'm almost never tired so I don't know…"

"Huh, I noticed you didn't have as much energy as you used to… And I don't know. Different people deal with it in different ways. I normally just ignore it when I feel tired…" Konata replied from right next to Misao on the bus stop bench they sat upon, grateful that they were near home and could just book it if the rain got stronger.

There was a pause.

"Um… Konata…?"

Konata turned to Misao and tilted her head curiously "Yeah, Misao?"

"I'm sorry about earlier…" Misao said quietly. "It just made me so angry, what Imouto said…"

The bluenette frowned. "I get the feeling that I know what she said… This is about Kagami, right?"

"When isn't it?" Misao smiled wryly. "For the past five months, she's been the biggest problem in my life. To be honest, if I didn't love her, I'd probably have just left her." She gave a bitter laugh. "But, the thing is, I _do _love her. I love her so much it hurts"

Konata chuckled. "Yeah, she's a handful – a lot more with you than she ever was with me." She turned to look at the scenery – the dull concrete made wet by the droplets of water falling down from the heavens. "She's a lot more open with you, that's for sure…" She added wistfully.

Misao joined Konata, staring at the world outside their dry island as well. "You still like her, right?" The brunette asked.

After some time, the shorter girl answered. "Yeah…" She blinked and glanced at Misao, surprised. "But… I don't remember telling you that…"

"No, you didn't. Tsukasa did." The fanged girl said. "You should've, though. After all, I was the one who told you about Kagami liking you back." She added with a smirk.

Konata chuckled once more. "I guess you did." She returned her gaze to the rain. "You know, it'd be so much easier if these old feelings just went away. You could be happy with Kagami, I could be happy with Tsukasa, then we could all get married and have beautiful science babies together – and you and me would be sister-in-laws."

"Ah, wouldn't that be something" Misao laughed – happy, yet somewhat bitter. It was wishful thinking she knew wouldn't come true. It was _never_ that easy. Besides, she didn't exactly agree with it completely. "Don't just wish away your feelings like that. It's thinking like yours that'll hurt Tsukasa. Kagami too, now that I think about it." She smirked "And sure as hell, it'd hurt me."

Konata smiled and shook her head slowly. "Yeah, I know. I just wonder sometimes…"

A silence settled between the two. While Konata was completely fine with sitting quietly with a friend, Misao felt restless when she was just sitting still with nothing to talk about. Sensing the taller girl's discomfort, Konata decided to start up another topic for conversation, or at least continue a previous one.

"Yo, Misakichi." Konata began. "I think Tsukasa told you already but she confessed to me the other day…"

"Yeah. Took her five months." Misao chuckled. "So, what are you gonna tell her?"

"… I don't know yet…"

Misao gave her a look. "Seriously? I remember a lot Kagami's rants for the past two years involved you bringing up the topic of love and your 'twisted otaku' spin on it"

Konata winced. "Yeah, anime and manga don't normally give a good example of what love is. Even worse is the dating sims since it tries to give a number to the girl's affection levels." She said, scratching her head and smiling. "In real life, I really don't have a clue about love, to be honest."

"That still doesn't answer my question. You gonna return her love or not? You're not gonna make her wait like Kagami did with me, will you?"

Konata winced again. "I still can't believe you stayed with her long enough for her to start loving you back." The bluenette sighed. "I want to say yes, Misao. I want to tell Tsukasa that I love her too… but… something's holding me back. You know exactly who it is."

Misao slowly rubbed her temples. "I'm getting real sick of all this 'someone else' bullshit. I had enough of it from Kagami." The frustration in her voice was obvious. "You're in love with Kagami. So what? You're with Tsukasa, and you obviously have feelings for her too. Why _don't_ you just say yes?"

"I don't know…"

Another silence settled between the two. As they watched life in world outside their little box continue on, Misao spoke again.

"I'm guessing that's the reason you were so antsy around Kagami earlier, right? The whole confession thing? Eh, can't blame you. Kagami doesn't seem too happy about all this either. I doubt anyone here could be happy with Kagami acting all mopey…" Misao sighed. "When do you think she'll finally go back to normal?"

"If by that, do you mean 'when will she stop acting like an _Evangelion_ character'?" Konata asked with a smirk. She shook her head and chuckled. "Heh, I have no clue…"

"Evangelion?"

"Eh, just another anime. You should definitely watch it. The ending is a bit weird though."

Misao chuckled as well. "It's been a long time since I last heard an anime reference from you. It's kinda refreshing hearing one again"

"Yeah. Haven't been in the mood for anime in a long time. After a while, everything just sorta feels the same, you know?"

Misao stared at Konata. "No, actually. I don't…" She said, scratching her head.

"Have you ever eaten so much of the same thing over the course of a few years that you end up not liking it anymore?" Konata asked.

Misao grinned. It was a topic she could relate to "A few years? How 'bout a few hours. Give me any one food that you could get in bulk at the supermarket and I would buy it. I'd eat all of it in a day, and by the end, I'd never want to eat it ever again."

Konata snickered. "It's not exactly like that but…" Once she calm down, she sighed. "Anime is starting to get stale for me… None of the action or the romances seem all that appealing anymore. Haruhi knows I've had enough drama in real life. I don't really need more of it in my anime… The only shows I seem to like watching these days are the feel-good slice of life anime…"

Misao tilted her head curiously. "What, like… _K-on! _and _A-Channel_?"

"Yeah, like those shows" The bluenette grinned "I'm surprised you know about them."

"Well, my brother sometimes just leaves the TV on random channels when he's on kitchen duty. Most of the time it's some documentary on the science channel, or news, but other times it's anime." Misao said. "Those two came up a couple times. I'll be honest, they seem a bit boring. Hardly anything happens."

"And that's the beauty of it, my fanged friend." Konata stood and put her hand over her heart. "It's just a couple highschool girls hanging out and being cute together. It's like us but without all the drama and problems that real life throws our way. It's about the friendship of these characters and the bond they share as they live their highschool lives together"

Misao couldn't help but smile. "It's the kind of thing that makes you really appreciate the friendship you have with your own friends, doesn't it?"

"Exactly. Highschool doesn't last forever. We're gonna have college entrance exams in a few months. After that, finals. By April, next year, all of us will be attending different colleges. We won't be all together anymore once highschool ends, no matter how much we want to be. And every time a slice of life anime ends with them graduating, I just can't help but wonder… What'll happens to us?" She chuckled. "_K-on!_ even managed to make me curl up into a ball and cry for a few hours…"

Konata sighed. "I love all of you guys… and… well… the fact that I'm a senior is finally catching up to me… I'm gonna miss you when you're gone…"

Misao frowned and grit her teeth "Geez, you're gonna make _me _cry at this rate…" She sighed as well. "At least we'll still be friends, right?"

Konata smiled and took at deep breath. Misao grew wide eyed. She was about to sing

_~Even if we are to part  
We have our angel in our hearts  
This new start of life, doesn't mean it's the end  
Because we will be best friends for all of time  
If you say 'I love you lots'  
I'll say I love you twice as much  
There's no reason for me to ever forget  
We will still be together til forever~_

"I still can't get over your singing voice." Misao muttered. "That was beautiful"

Konata rubbed the tears from out of her eyes. "Thanks. Just really needed to get that out." She grinned, eyes still a bit watery. "That was actually from _K-on!…_"

"Holy crap, they played music? I thought they just had tea and ate sweets all the time"

Konata sweatdropped. "Yeah, people tend to get that impression…"

Misao stood and looked outside their dry island once more. "Looks like the rain's picking up. We should get going."

"Good idea." Konata said, picking up her back.

Right as the bluenette was about to run full tilt into the rain, Misao grabbed her shoulder "Oi, not so fast, short stuff. You still haven't answered my question. Are you going to tell Imouto you like her back?"

Konata smiled wryly. "_Of course_ you remembered. I was hoping you'd forget about it, to be honest…"

"You know, this could easily be solved by just answering _yes_, right?"

"Yeah, I know, just… I'm confused, Misao. I need some time to get my mind in order. By this time next week, I promise, I'd have made my decision." Konata said, claping her hands together and bowing.

"Alright, a week. At least that's a heck of a lot shorter than how long it took Kagami" Misao said, chuckling. "Well, c'mon. We need to get home and the rain doesn't seem like it's gonna stop any time soon"

They charged into the rain, right as as it suddenly started to pour.

"It wouldn't be this strong if you didn't stop me earlier!" Konata yelled.

"It wouldn't be this strong if you didn't have a ten minute spiel about anime!" Misao replied "Now shut it and run!"

**LUCKY STAR**

The walk to the station was a quiet one. Minami and Yutaka were unfortunately unable to catch Patricia. Despite all their efforts in the latter half of the week, things were not going to be resolved any time soon.

"Maybe we should just stop trying?" Yutaka wondered. "Maybe if we let things run its course, everything will go back to normal?"

Indeed, she wanted to stop. She didn't like chasing Patricia all over the school like she was a wanted criminal and she knew Minami didn't want to force her to talk to get an answer out of her. Aside from that, the fact that all their efforts in the past two days were all of nothing made her very uninclined to keep at it. Whether Minami was of the same boat, she wasn't sure.

A small drop of water landed on Yutaka's nose, prompting her to look skyward. Several drops were falling from the sky and countless more were following them. It was starting to rain. Seeing that, Minami brought out a folding umbrella from her bag, giving both herself and Yutaka some much needed overhead cover.

"Thank you, Minami" Yutaka said quietly, to which Minami replied with a simple nod.

Yutaka noticed something weird. Minami felt distant – more so than usual. A certain rift seems to have formed between them and Yutaka was not sure if she'd be able to bridge it like she did when they first met. Something must have happened to close her off. But what was it?

"Minami, is something wrong?" Yutaka asked. The mint haired girl shook her head. "No."

Yutaka frowned. _She's lying…_ She noted.

The two continued walking in silence.

_Why is Minami so closed off today? Why was she so closed of this whole week? I wonder… _Yutaka glanced at Minami. She seemed deep in thought. _What's she thinking of…? _A few short seconds of observation revealed very little as to what it was exactly, but there were enough broad strokes to know _some _things.

It was something pertaining to Yutaka since Minami wouldn't make eye contact. Her head was somewhat lowered and her face more serious than it normally was, meaning it was likely to be something she disliked. And her movements were stiff and mechanical so she obviously didn't want Yutaka to know what she was thinking.

_That's just silly. The more she tries to hide it, the easier it is to notice. _Yutaka thought.

"What are you thinking of?"

"Nothing"

"You're lying" The shorter girl said flatly.

Minami stopped walking and blinked. Yutaka watched as the taller girl subtly winced at her perceptiveness. Curiously, Minami still kept up the act.

"It's nothing" Minami said once more, only in a more convincing manner.

Yutaka lowered. her head, puzzled. _Is she still thinking about it? I can't tell __what it is at all__… _She thought. _Why does she want to hide it from me so much?_

"Minami, please tell me…"

The stoic frowned and thought for a bit before answering. "I will, soon. Now's not the time" She said cryptically.

"But when _will _it be the time?"

"Well…" Minami's trailed off and before she could finish, something else was brought to her attention. "Nee-san"

Yutaka moved her gaze to where Minami was looking to see Miyuki turn to face them. "Oh, hello, Minami, Yutaka" She greeted.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Miyuki joined the two on their walk to the station.

"Yes, I was at the student council office. We had a meeting about what the clubs and classes were and were not allowed to do here at school during winter break." Miyuki recounted. "It was a long meeting. It seemed like much of the class and club representatives had varying ideas of what they'd like to do. We had, at one point, a person who wanted to have fireworks on the roof on New Years."

Yutaka tilted her head curiously. "Did you let them?"

"Of course not. They were suggesting actual fireworks – the kind that explode in the air. That's much too dangerous for students to do, at least while on the school grounds without adult supervision. We prohibited it"

Yutaka nodded, somewhat disappointed. She had fallen asleep with Minami when they went to see fireworks during the summer festival. She really wanted to see fireworks in the sky with her own eyes.

She glanced at Minami. She was still deep in though. She glanced at Miyuki who seemed to have also noticed Minami's disposition.

"I take it that you're struggling with something?" Miyuki asked nonchalantly. Minami nodded. "Is it something you want to talk about?" Minami glanced at Yutaka there returned her gaze to Miyuki. She shook her head. "Ah, okay. Very well, I won't pry"

Yutaka watched the exchange with some frustration. They were keeping secrets and it seems they were secrets that involved Yutaka.

_Don't they trust me anymore? _She wondered. _Hmm, maybe it's something that'll hurt me if I find out? There are things I'd rather not know about. Maybe their secret is something like that?_

As Yutaka rationalized that in her head, the two step sisters were having another silent conversation.

Minami looked at Miyuki and raised and eyebrow. _Did you find anything out?_

She nodded but smiled apologetically. _Not anything useful…_

Minami winced then sighed. _I suppose I should have expected that…_

Miyuki gave her and encouraging smile. _Look at the bright side, Minami_

Minami looked at Miyuki skeptically. _What bright side?_

The pinkette sweatdropped. _What indeed…_

In between them, Yutaka seemed to have come to a conclusion that made her happy. _She's so obvious…_ They noted as the red head beamed to herself, shaking her fists cheerfully.

And so they arrived at the station right as it began to rain.

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori felt a bit of dejavu. She and Ko sat together on the playground swing set while Hiyori poured her heart out. Ko listened attentively – as if she found the whole thing completely engrossing. When the raven haired girl finished, a certain silence fell upon them. It was soft and not very oppressive – it almost felt comfortable, even. Perhaps Hiyori just needed to get all that out?

Ko frowned, deep in thought. "Hey, Tamura, do you wanna know what I think?"

Hiyori recoiled. She had a feeling she knew what Ko was going to say. "You think I'm overreacting, don't you…?" She asked quietly.

Ko smiled apologetically. "Kinda"

Hiyori stood, picked up her bag and began walking away.

"Hey, wait up, Tamura!" Ko got up and followed. "Where are you going?"

"Home"

"Right, I'll join you"

Hiyori stopped and looked at Ko straight in the eye. "No you won't." Then she continued forward

_Why is it that every time I tell people what happened, they think I'm overreacting!? It's not like I exaggerate how things happened… At least it doesn't _feel_ like I exaggerated them…_

Hiyori frowned and looked back, cringing at the fact that Ko was walking right behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Walking home with you" Ko replied casually.

Hiyori twitched. _Does__n't__ she know how to __take a hint__? __Oh, that's right. She's an __idiot __air head__. I need to be more direct. _She thought harshly, which she then translated into words of equal harshness. "Idiot, stay away from me."

"Hey, watch your mouth, kohai" Ko said, voice annoyed. "Some respect would be appreciated"

Hiyori grit her teeth. "I'll give you your respect once you give me mine. So respect my wishes and leave me alone"

"I can't do that"

"… And why not?"

Ko pointed beyond Hiyori. "Because Patricia's coming this way and I don't want to leave you alone with her"

Hiyori blinked and turned around. Sure enough, the American was walking towards them, engrossed in what looked to be a piece of paper. When she stopped in front of them, she simply stood silently. Hiyori averted her eyes, unsure of how to react. Ko looked between the two, a bit curious but not all together worried.

As a moment of silence fell upon them, Hiyori started to feel starved for air. _Looks like Patricia can still make my heart race, only this time, it __doesn't feel __nice__…_ She noted.

Patricia presented Hiyori a letter. "Did you receive one of these as well?" She asked curtly.

Hesitantly, the manga artist took the letter and read it. Her face immediately soured. _This is… this is anonymous hate mail… _The paper read a number of colorful insults addressed to what seemed like anyone who was or is a girl who dates or dated other girls. _Homophobic anonymous hate mail… well, I suppose we'd end up getting some eventually. It's not like this is a yuri manga where the entire world is all-accepting of __lesbian__relationships… but still…_

"Who sent you this?"

"That's what _I'd _like to know" Patricia said angrily. She swiped the letter from Hiyori's hands and began walking away "Whatever. I've had a bad enough day with your two hunting dogs chasing me during break. And even now that they've left me alone, I suddenly get _this_." She said, raising the letter to eye level. She stopped and turned back. "Speaking of your hunting dogs, call them off. Whatever you want with me, I don't want to do it."

Hiyori blinked. "What are you talking about?" She asked, legitimately confused.

Patricia looked at the raven haired girl skeptically. "Kobayakawa and Iwasaki have been tailing me since yesterday. Are you telling me you had no involvement in that?"

"Actually… I don't?"

The blonde looked thoughtful for a bit "Huh, guess I just… sorry for assuming, I guess…" She muttered.

Hiyori thought back to that past week. For the first three days, she had been too upset to deal with Yutaka and Minami. Looking at them made Hiyori sick – which she found quite ironic considering how much she used to gush about them. On Thursday, they talked for a bit and they said sorry to her. Happy to see that they finally saw her situation the way she herself saw it, Hiyori easily forgave them. Of course, they still tried to convince her to make up with Patricia. She put up a little bit of resistance but ultimately agreed. She wouldn't admit it, but pretending the blonde doesn't exist only seemed to be stressing the raven haired girl even more. So she agreed.

_They said yesterday that they'd take care of it… I'm guessing Patricia's been avoiding them every time they try to come near her… Uhhhhg, she's like that one character that makes everything so much harder than it needs to be!_

_Fine. __Yu-chan and Minami-chan just wanted us to make up and now she's right in front of me. __I'll just take out the middle man __and work on it myself__._

"Patricia, I'm sorry…"

The American frowned. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I want all this to stop. I know we had a really bad break up but… We were once friends weren't we? Can't we at least go back to being that?" Hiyori looked at the blonde with an apologetic smiled. "C'mon, don't you want that too?"

Patricia sighed "Yeah, actually I do…" She looked away. "But some things came up. I need some time alone for a bit. Maybe after it all blows over, you me and the two perfect love birds could hang out some time."

Hiyori smiled. "…Yeah… I'd like that…"

Patricia smiled back before turning away once more. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry." She shook her head. "To be honest, I still don't know what I did wrong. I'm not good at this sort of thing at all. I mean… I always get the bad end in eroge and dating sims. Maybe that applies to real life too…?" She shook her head once more. "I don't know…" With that, she began walking away.

Once Patricia was some ways away, Hiyori released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Ko said encouragingly.

"Yeah, it was easier than I thought it would be but… But why does it feel like I'm still the one in the wrong?" Hiyori sighed. "Maybe I'm like Patricia. She won't get her happy end, so maybe I won't get mine either…?"

"Hey, don't think like that. Just try again. That's the only way it'll work out." Ko said. "Besides, you could always choose a different heroine, right?" Then she added in a mutter. "Or hero, if that's your cup of tea."

Hiyori chuckled. "Maybe I will. Who knows, I might like guys more than girls…"

She felt a drop of rain hit her head.

"Looks like it's gonna rain." Ko commented. "We should be off. The rain ain't gonna wait for us to be out of it before it starts" She suddenly took the manga artist's hand and began dragging her to the station. "Oh come on, Tamura, I know that moment was heartfelt and all that but if you don't start walking, I'm gonna leave you here. How would you like the replay that scene in your head while drenched in rain water?"

"R-right… Sorry, Ko-senpai."

"Now _there's _the respect I wanted. Now, move it, Tamura!"

Hiyori shook her head and began walking, a small smile on her face. She was astonished but the smile felt real. _Well, this is certainly __surprising__… _she thought, enjoying the feeling of joy she was experiencing. She picked up her pace to match Ko's

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano arrived home right as it started raining. She was lucky that she got home when she did. She didn't have an umbrella despite it raining a lot in the past few days. It was mostly carelessness on her part. Her umbrella was in her bag the day before but she removed it when she packed her books for the day that morning. She just forgot to put it back.

She sighed as she removed her shoes and walked inside. "I'm home!" She called

"Oi, sister! In here" Akira called from the kitchen

Ayano winced. She was about to get another lecture. She got one yesterday night during dinner and she got one two days ago. She was sure that she was gonna get another one shortly.

"Yes, _Nee-san_?" Ayano growled as she entered the room.

"You still haven't answered my question. You keep stalling." Akira said from the table. "Why'd you break his ribs?"

She knew it. She knew she'd get called out on it again. She said sorry. She regretted it. She knew it was a terrible thing to do and was wracked with guilt about it for the past few weeks. Misao was enough of a reminder considering how similar she looked to Masaru. She didn't need another one to cause her more stress.

"I don't know…" Ayano said.

"Yes you do." Akira said coldly. "Let me recount what happened _again_. Hiiragi and Kusakabe were having an intimate moment and your ass of an ex-boyfriend decided to butt in. He said some words that made your oh so precious Misa-chan upset and you started mercilessly kicking him. Tell me, why did you go that far? Yeah, he deserved the slap you gave him. But the kicks to the side? Why were you so angry?"

Ayano frowned. "I don't know…" She repeated a bit louder.

Akira frowned as well. "Fine, be like that. Until you start telling the truth, I'll just keep asking – no matter _how _long it takes" She said harshly. "Now go upstairs and change. You're in charge of making dinner today."

Ayano nodded and exited the kitchen, feeling considerably more upset than she did when she entered. "Damn you…" She muttered. "Why are you doing this…?" She started up the stairs, climbing up the steps to her bedroom.

**LUCKY STAR**

[LUCKY CHANNEL!]

[Hiya, luckies! I am Akira Kogami]

[and I am Minoru Shiraishi. We will be your navigators]

[Hey Minoru, you wanna know what I hate?]

[I have a bad feeling about this…]

[_I HATE THIS FREAKIN' RAIN!_]

[Okay, fair enough. It's been troublesome lately.]

[_TROUBLESOME__? Troublesome is __when there isn't any hot water for a bath and you have to boil it from a kettle. This rain is making the act of just getting around a god damn nightmare for someone like me!_]

[I take it that you're not doing too well with the crowded trains?]

[_I'm a hundred __fifty __centimeters! __Of course I'd be pissed about the crowds. It's like I'm surrounded by freakin giants!_]

[Speaking of giants, it's time to bring out the swords and 3D maneuver gear. Here's _Wings of Freedom_, the second OP of _Attack on Titan_. Enjoy]

[_Oh you god damn bitch! Don't you dare cut me off __with your terrible segue__. I'm on a roll here! I-_]

~music start~

**LUCKY STAR**

**Wow, there was a lot of mood whiplash in that Lucky Channel segment. Well, whatever.**

**Things are starting to pick up. Of course, some other things ended in this chapter as well.**

**Patricia was always meant to be the misunderstood villain. Whether the end of this arc did her any justice, I'm not sure. Though I _am_ sure it didn't do Hiyori any justice. But life isn't fair. She (and you) just have to deal with it. Sorry.**

**Kagami and Tsukasa. Man those two. When they get emotional, I always have trouble making it have the impact I want. That said, I think this chapter's obligatory Kagami drama was passable.**

**But I'm sure you're getting tired of all the Kagami drama. Everyone else in the story is too. So we take a break from her in favor of Misao. So far, she's the character I get the most praise about from reviews. I still don't quite understand what makes her work for you guys but what I'm doing seems to be working. She and Konata have another heart to heart and something in my own heart makes me want to continue working on my Konata/Misao story again. Eh, It's due for an update anyway. Let's see what I can do.**

**Ayano and her sister have had difficult relations since chapter 6. The cause of which, well, you'll soon find out, won't you. I'm still waiting on theories as to what the reason _is _for why they're so strained. Any idea's guys? I have something planned but it would be nice to see what _you guys _think.**

**On an unrelated note, _Coinciding Moments _is now on _Archive of Our Own_. The first two arcs are edited and uploaded, with more arcs to come. The somewhat regular updates will still come from _FanFiction_, so followers on _AO3_ will get to binge read entire arcs, while you guys get fresh updates and personal author notes.**

**Anyway, to wrap up this really long end note, I'd just like to point out that it's almost May 15. You know what that means? This fic's anniversary is near. I don't exactly have anything big planned but I'll try to have a new chapter released on that day. Til then, I wish you all a good day.**


	35. It's calm but still cloudy

**Happy Anniversary, guys! So, this past week, I updated three stories: This, _Unrelated Moments_, and _Love From Out Of The Blue_. Totaling to 10k words in a week. Maybe my writing endurance is finally returning but I like that I was able to churn out this much.**

**Anyway, last chapter was _another _day in the rain. This time, not so much. _It's calm but still cloudy_, not that I outright stated that in the chapter - which, really, I should have.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata decided to take Miyuki outside the clasroom during lunch to speak with her, leaving Tsukasa with Kagami, Misao, and Ayano – which she was totally okay with. After two years of minimal interaction with the two from 3-C, Tsukasa welcomed the chance to reconnect.

"Wow, your hair is so soft, Misao" Kagami commented. "It's silky and smooth"

Misao, along with Kagami, had finished their meals in mere minutes and were boredly lazing around, waiting for Tsukasa and Ayano to finish. And as they waited, Kagami started stroking Misao's hair.

"Really?" The brunette ran her hand through her hair. "I don't notice."

Tsukasa stroked her own hair, noting how her fingers got caught in it. She frowned and sighed. "I wish _my_ hair was that soft…"

"Oh, don't worry about that, imouto" Misao said with a grin. "Maybe if you brush your hair a bit, it'll be just as smooth as Kagami's"

"I have a hair brush in my bag" Ayano said helpfully.

Misao stood and winked at Tsukasa. "Be right back." She then bolted out the room.

Tsukasa watched the brunette leave and then turned to Kagami curiously. "Is your hair really that smooth?"

Kagami blushed. "Uh… yeah…" She answered awkwardly. Ayano giggled and Kagami's blush deepened. "I believe Ayano and Misao have first hand knowledge…"

Tsukasa tilted her head in confusion. "You let them touch your hair? Could I touch it too?"

Kagami reluctantly agreed. "Uh… s-sure…" She said as she undid her pony tail. She then leaned towards Tsukasa.

Tsukasa gently brought her hand upon Kagami's head, closing her eyes as she felt the hair run through her fingers. "...Wow…" She breathed.

Indeed, Kagami's hair was smoother than she remembered it being. The last time she even touched it was… was a year ago when they went to the beach together. _Wow, that already felt so long ago… _Tsukasa thought. _Maybe it was because Kagami was in the sun all day that her hair wasn't as smooth as it was supposed to be… but still…_

As Tsukasa stroked her sister's hair, she heard Ayano ask. "Misao, may I touch your hair as well?" Misao must have returned already.

Kagami twitched, much to Tsukasa's confusion. "Is something wrong?" Tsukasa whispered. Kagami shook her head in denial

The younger twin frowned in puzzlement. _Something's definitely wrong… _She thought. _What's going on with her…? _She though for a bit while stroking Kagami's hair. The answer came quite easily. _Oh. It's jealousy… _Tsukasa smiled. _Onee-chan is so cute._

Tsukasa opened her eyes to see all three of the girls from 3-C blushing deeply. Kagami seemed to be really enjoying Tsukasa's hand run through her hair while both Misao and Ayano were similarly enjoying themselves.

It did register in her mind how strange such a scene would appear to an outsider, and yes, even to those participating in said activity - and those people were only just realizing how odd their situation truly was. When the session stopped, an awkward silence inevitably followed.

The four sat straight up, not making eye contact, unsure as to what to say to each other.

"U-um…" Misao was the first to speak up. "You're r-really good with your hands, Ayano…" She said.

The girls from 3-C all blushed harder – for what reason, Tsukasa did not understand. What Misao said seemed to have some sort of implied meaning other than the literal.

"Th-thanks, Misao…" Ayano muttered. She glanced at Kagami. "Y-you we're right. Her hair _is _really soft…"

Kagami nodded, saying nothing. She looked down at her own hand, rubbing her palm with her fingers. Tsukasa sensed a certain feeling of sadness from her. Glancing at Misao, it seemed that the brunette had sensed it too.

Misao shook her head slowly and took Kagami's hand, putting said hand on top of her head. "C'mon. Don't be that way, Kagami"

Kagami chuckled. "Sorry. Don't know what came over me…" She ran her hand on Misao's head once before laying on the table. "It's passed. Don't worry…"

Tsukasa smiled. _Kagami must be a handful. _She thought. She slowly shook her head soon after. _It's so weird thinking that. She's always been so independent – __always taking care of me and stuff…__Then again, she doesn't need to be like that anymore. I can take better care of myself now. And now she has Misao. It isn't so bad to let herself be weak sometimes__._

She glanced at Ayano, noting how she seemed to be holding back her feelings. She looked between her and the couple and wondered. _Hmm… Is she thinking about Misao's brother? I remember that they had a bad fight during the culture festival. They must not have made up yet… __It must be hard seeing __Kagami and Misao be__ like that considering how much Misao looks like __Masaru__…_

"Hey, imouto, wanna do the hair brushing thing now?" Misao asked, holding up the hair brush.

Tsukasa smiled. "Sure"

Kagami stopped her. "Not before you finish eating."

Tsukasa and Ayano sweatdropped. The two only just realized that they haven't finished their lunch yet.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata asked Miyuki to speak with her in the hall. Miyuki, being the understanding girl that she was, didn't ask why Konata wanted to be alone when they spoke, at least not until they actually _were _alone.

"May I know why you wanted to speak in private?" The pinkette asked.

Konata grabbed Miyuki's shoulders and tip toed to bring her face as close as possible to Miyuki's "I need help, Miyuki" She said almost desperately.

Miyuki blinked. "…What?"

Konata let go and began pacing back and forth in front of the glasses girl. "It's Tsukasa confessed to me last week. I haven't answered her yet. WHAT DO I DO!?"

Miyuki blinked once more. "… You… you should say yes?" She replied, feeling more and more confused.

"I KNOW. It's just that I don't know how to do that. HOW am I supposed to say yes to her!?" Konata turned to face Miyuki and fell to her hands and knees. She lamented. "Years upon years of experience with dating sims and visual novels and yet I _still _have no idea what to do…"

Miyuki sweatdropped. "Don't you think you're being a little over dramatic?"

Konata sat up and looked up at Miyuki, straight faced. "I _know _I'm being over dramatic. It helps relieve stress. To be honest, inside I'm panicking because I have no idea how to do this." She stood and took Miyuki by the shoulders once more. "Please help me" She said flatly.

For as many times, Miyuki blinked again. "Okay, what do you need?" She asked helpfully.

Konata turned away and exclaimed. "AN IDEA" She said, voice not very loud yet very attention grabbing. "I need an idea. Something for a convoluted plan that's so crazy that it'll make me not feel so embarrassed to admit that I actually want to return my girlfriends feelings." There was a pause. "_Wow_, that sounds so stupid when I say it aloud…"

"So what you're saying is, you want to say yes without feeling embarrassed?" Miyuki asked. Konata nodded. "They why not just invite her to karaoke and sing her a love song – one that well enough describes how you feel for her?"

A moment of silence came and went.

Konata blinked. "Miyuki that's _brilliant_!" She pulled out her phone and began shifting through her files. "But what song, though? Hmm…"

As Konata trailed off, Miyuki couldn't help but giggle. _Konata-san's mind works in strange ways. Even after being with her for three years, I still haven't figured her out._

Miyuki looked around, noting that Hikaru Sakuraba and Nakano Kuroi were both standing outside their classrooms, watching them quietly. Kuroi grinned and gave her a thumbs up while Sakuraba merely nodded with a lazy smile on her face.

The pinkette smiled and sweat dropped. _This is the strangest kind of teacher's approval I've ever received…_

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami watched the scene before her with a noticable amount of confusion. Yutaka who sat next to her was similarly puzzled. The two sat at their respective desks, looking in bemusement at the two who sat at the desks adjacent to theirs. Namely, Patricia and Hiyori, both sitting next to each other, quietly eating lunch.

Not three days ago, they wouldn't acknowledge each other's existence and outright refused to be in the same room as each other. Now, they seemed to be completely fine with each other, even somewhat enjoying each other's presence. The only visible sign of hostility was Patricia's slightly annoyed glance at Minami and Yutaka when she first sat down. Other than that, it was fine.

Did something happen during the weekend, they wondered? Did they finally make up? If so, why did it seem like they still had some sort of rift between them? Minami didn't understand – nor did Yutaka – and she didn't want to start guessing.

_Only one way to find out, I suppose… _She thought with a not quite insignificant amount of discomfort.

"I take it you two have made up?" Minami asked curtly.

The two otakus shot each other a questioning look with both of them replying with a look of uncertainty. "Eh… I guess…?" Hiyori answered reluctantly.

Yutaka leaned forward, eyes alight with excitement. "So you're friends again?" She asked, voice full of cheerful energy. Minami nearly tried to hold her back from how strong she was coming off.

The two glanced at each other, trying to hold back the grins forming on their lips. The red head's smile was infectious. "You can say that…" Patricia answered, looking down. "We're not enemies, at least…"

Yutaka blinked at them and frowned. "Patty-chan, is something wrong…?" She asked with concern

Minami watched as the blond stared at Yutaka with wide blue eyes. She could see the panic Patricia hid behind her face of mild surprise. An ominous sense of unsettlement started welling up inside the stoic. _Yutaka's right. Something's wrong…_

Patricia covered her lunch box and stood. "I'm leaving now" She stated. She then left the room without another word.

Something in Minami made her want to say _I told you so_ but she understood that doing that wouldn't be appropriate. Of course, she has to say _something_. Yutaka was still leaning forward, as if she were still stopped in time from when the mood hadn't shifted yet.

"Yutaka, are you alright…?" Minami asked quietly.

The red head leaned back limply. "No…" Yutaka said. "I upset Patricia…" She grumbled quietly.

Minami frowned. She glanced at Hiyori and gave her a questioning look.

Hiyori shrunk. "Uh… I don't know…" She answered nervously. "She said she's been having some problems. I didn't ask any questions. I was just happy that we were friends again…"

Minami nodded and returned her gaze to Yutaka. She had her arms crossed while she chewed her food thoughtfully. The mint haired girl watched in silence, feeling completely useless.

_I am supposedly Yutaka's protector. Maybe I should have held her back earlier. __That way, I might have prevented this… _Minami shook her head. _No, there's no way I could have known something like this would happen. There's no sense in being upset over this. _She looked at Yutaka once more and grit her teeth. _But Yutaka…_

"Hey, uh… you guys mind if I ask you a question?"

Minami blinked and turned to Hiyori. She tilted her head curiously.

"Okay, um… well, last Friday, Patricia got this letter and… well…" Hiyori stopped when she saw Minami's face.

One of the mint haired girl's most obvious change in expression occurred just then and Hiyori was, quite frankly, shocked – which was exactly the kind of face Minami was wearing. Perhaps more shocking was Yutaka, who clenched her teeth, seeming to be struggling to hold in her rage.

Minami's mind was racing. It had spread. It wasn't just them. Who else would they target? Misao? Konata? She felt like a hypocrite by assuming but the stoic was fairly certain that a letter like that wouldn't matter to them. Tsukasa? Kagami? It's very likely that they'd break down or throw a fit. _That_ would be the time Misao and Konata would feel hurt by those letters, forcing them to act.

Minami scowled.

_What if they'd target every single homosexual in this school? Those out of the closet probably already experienced it, but what about those who're still keeping it secret? Yutaka has whispered to me that a fair number of students she had told a fortune for were at least _somewhat_ attracted to the same gender, but either haven't realized it yet or really don't want others to know – how she figured that out, I have no idea. If they outed those people, we might have a serious matter at hand…_

Minami felt a hand squeeze her own. She glanced at Yutaka who was looking at her pleadingly. _We have to do something._

Minami winced internally. "Yes, this is a problem… but what are we supposed to do? We have no power over something like this. Who knows how big this is and how many are being sent letters? As far as we're concerned, this is something to be stamped out by the disciplinary committee."

Yutaka frowned. "Then who do we know from the disciplinary committee?" She asked almost desperately "I don't like people getting hurt. We have to do something"

Minami winced once more. "Neither do I… I'll see what I can do…"

As Minami moved to stand up, the school bell rang. Wincing for the third time, Minami sat back down and packed up hers and Yutaka's lunchboxes. Hiyori did the same with her own and trudged off to her seat at the side of the classroom. Yutaka pouted as she rubbed the tears forming in her eyes, shaking her head soon after to send said problem to the back of her mind. Minami did something similar, shifting focus from the letters in the lockers to the letters on the board. The teacher had arrived and class was starting. They'd have to deal with the latter, waiting until dismissal to deal with the former.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami checked her cellphone, noting that Tsukasa had texted her, saying to go on ahead. The younger twin was apparently on cleaning duty that day. _Huh, she got moved to Mondays again?_ Kagami thought, not quite interested in keeping up her focus on the topic.

She blinked. _Wait, what was I supposed to do…? Right, go home…_ She shook her head and shouldered her bag. _I wish I could get a good night's sleep again. All these random spells of sleepiness __in the middle of the day __is starting to affect my performance __in class – not to mention making the commute home a real pain__. It's getting annoying…_

Kagami heard her name and turned to face the voice that said it. "Yeah, Minegishi-san?"

"Hello, Hiiragi-san. Are you going to be watching Misao's practice today as well?" Ayano asked.

"Nah. I'm too tired today. I'll just drop by for a few minutes then I'm headed home." Kagami said drowsily. She felt a yawn start to form and quickly pushed it down. It would be rude to yawn in front of her friend. She ended up yawning anyway. "I caaaa-aaaahhhh~… I can stay and watch with you if you want… Sorry, I'm really sleepy…"

"Don't worry about it, Hiiragi-san. It's probably better not to hold in a yawn. There's a reason you lose control of your jaw when you yawn." Ayano said. "And you don't need to stay if you need rest. I'm sure Misao would say that too."

Kagami chuckled. "Okay then. C'mon, we can still go to the field together." With that they left the room and walked together.

_She's a good friend. _Kagami thought. _It's nice to see she's talking to us more. For that past few months, we haven't really interacted much. It wasn't like she was ignoring us or we were ignoring her – we just sorta just stopped talking for a while. __Oddly enough, i__t started back up last month, when the culture festival ended… __hmm…_

Right as they arrived at the shoe lockers, a thought came to Kagami. _Wait, earlier at the classroom, did Ayano just…?_ "Ayano, I noticed earlier that you called Misao by her first name." Kagami stated, puzzled.

Ayano blinked. "Oh? I did? Oh dear, I'm sorry!" She bowed, clapping her hands together in front of her head.

Kagami sweatdropped. "It's fine, it's fine. Misao never liked being addressed formally anyway. In any case, what made you ditch the nickname you gave her? What was it? Misa-chan?"

Ayano twitched. "Let's just say the name doesn't sound as appealing as it once did."

The tsundere quietly wondered what Ayano meant by that. _Whatever_. She shrugged and opened her shoe locker.

Kagami blinked. "Oh? What's this?" She took out a letter and read it for a few seconds before crumpling it up. "A waste of paper…" She whispered angrily before throwing it to the nearest trash bin.

"What was that?" Ayano asked.

"Just some idiot's idea for a practical joke." Kagami answered, looking very annoyed. "Someone sent me hate mail for being a lesbian. You've gotta have a really stupid underdeveloped mind to hate on someone for who they choose to love."

"I don't know, Hiiragi." Ayano looked down. "Our society isn't very keen on lesbians – or same sex relationships in general."

"Yeah, I know that. But they gotta remember that we're still human, you know? We still have feelings. If Tsukasa got one of those, or maybe Yutaka, I'm sure it'd break their hearts." Kagami crossed her arms and looked angrily at the trash bin. "Man, I'm really pissed now…"

"Well, as you know, I'm part of the disciplinary committee. I could report this and have the school start investigating." Ayano said helpfully. "I know not everyone in this school accepts people like you, but majority of the response by the students involving your relationship has been positive, at least when it comes to _our_ year level. I'm sure they'd be more than willing to help out."

Kagami smiled, relaxing somewhat. "Thanks, Ayano…"

Ayano blinked. "Hiiragi-san… you just… My first name…"

Kagami's smile widened. "Why not, right?"

Ayano smiled as well. "Good point. Shall we go to the field now, Kagami?"

"Yes, we shall"

With that, the two switched out their school shoes and left the building, circling around to the track field to greet Misao then go home.

**LUCKY STAR**

"You think Tsukasa's gonna be okay on her own?" Konata wondered aloud. "Should I have stayed and waited for her?"

On the walk to the station, Konata was accompanied by Miyuki, Minami, and Yutaka. They made for good companions while on the go as their interactions with each other were normally quite entertaining. However, that was not the case that day, as Konata soon found out. It was more tense than anything else. It seemed that the two love birds were struggling with something and Miyuki was aware of what it was. Despite being in complete silence, she felt like she was being excluded from the conversation. Considering that the three _were _actually capable of communicating with no words, the feeling felt even worse.

Of course, ignoring them would be the best course of action, but doing so would mean her thoughts would start wandering inward, as they often did in recent times. From her plan to sing to Tsukasa to how long it's been since she went to work.

Speaking of which, she had been on extended leave for a long time. If she came back that Wednesday for her shift, would they still take her back? Maybe. She'd have to ask Patricia about what they'd be wearing if they did. They were all told about what would be worn a month in advanced so they'd have time to prepare a costume. However, it just so happened that Konata had been off for exactly four weeks, making it so that she had no idea what the costumes would be.

"I should probably ask Patty about that…"

Konata noticed that the two first years both stiffened at the mere mention of Patricia. _I wonder what that's about…? _She shrugged. _Ah, doesn't matter._

"Konata-san?"

Konata turned to Miyuki "Yeah?"

"Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet." Miyuki asked, concern detectable on the edges of her voice.

Konata blinked. "Could ask the same to you. Talking about something you don't want me to know?" She asked, eyebrow raised

"Ah… well… Yes, we were." Miyuki said nervously. She bowed in apology "We didn't mean to exclude you"

"Nah, it's okay. You're dealing with stuff and it seems like trouble. I doubt I'd enjoy hearing about it anyway."

"Actually, we meant to ask you something, Konata-san…" When the bluenette tilted her curiously, Miyuki continued. "Have you talked to Patricia lately?"

"Nope. Haven't seen her in weeks. It's almost like she's been avoiding me."

"I see… And… Have you received any anonymous letters?"

Konata smiled her all too familiar cat smile. "Don't tell me. Patty's been getting love letters"

Miyuki sweatdropped. "I'm afraid it's not as nice as that. It's something quite less desirable. Yutaka and Minami are also getting similar kinds of letters. We've made no progress finding out who's responsible for sending them."

Much to Konata's horror, she slowly began comprehending what the pinkette was talking about. "… So you mean…" She breathed "they've been getting death threats…?"

Miyuki turned to Minami, who then turned to Yutaka, who then quietly looked down and said nothing. Minami then turned back to Miyuki, frowning, who then returned her gaze to Konata. "It seems so. I have read only one of them so far, which was the one Minami was given. All the others were sent to Yutaka who always tears it up before we can examine it."

"I can't help it! It just upsets me so much!" Yutaka cried in protest.

Minami pulled Yutaka into a small hug. "It's fine, Yutaka. We know. You don't need to make excuses. We understand and are completely okay with it."

Konata frowned. _Well, I'm surprised it took _this _long for something like this to happen. Still, I hoped people would be more accepting. It sure seemed that way for a good few months_. She winced at the memory of publicly announcing that she and Tsukasa would be dating. _I really shouldn't have done that. I outed her without her permission. She'd probably get targeted too because of that…_

She sighed. "Well, here's hoping it stops, which it probably won't…" She muttered darkly.

"Senpai, I do not appreciate your negativity." Minami said, voice quiet yet sharp.

"That's just how these thing go. Anime and manga aren't very good examples of what happens in real life, I know, but if there's one thing they can do realistically, it's portraying people acting like complete assholes. Trust me this is tame compared to what they can really do. It could be much much worse." She looked at Minami skeptically. "Besides, if you want this to stop, why are you keeping it secret? What if this is a whole bunch of people? You gonna take all of them on by yourself? Go public with this. Talk about it with teachers. They'll help - I know they will... Or at least I know Ms. Kuroi will."

The three looked at each other, unsure.

"Hey, just a suggestion. It isn't likely that they'll stop but maybe if you just ignore them, the deal with these letters will end? Hope for the best, right?"

Minami looked thoughtfully at Yutaka. She then turned her gaze back to Konata. "Maybe you're right… Maybe we've been going about this the wrong way…" She looked down and continued walking. "I'll have to think on it more…"

"Take your time. As long as no one else gets sent death threats, we can deal with this in our spare time." Konata said casually. When she received confused looks, she laughed. "What, you think I'm not gonna try and help? My little cousin and her girlfriend are getting death threats. _Of course _I'm gonna help. I'll make them rue the day they decided to mess with one of _my _relatives and their lover"

The three smiled and shook their heads before continuing forward. Little did they know that Konata was serious. _They'll pay. I'll make sure of it… _She thought darkly. _Well, there's _another _thing I have to worry about. _She added, a little more tiredly. She sighed and followed, noting that the station was just a few steps away.

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa walked the streets, contemplating what she'd make for dinner that night. Her mother had made something quite extravagant the previous night. Surely her sisters wouldn't hold it against her if she opted for something a bit simpler? She'd probably settle for Ramen. They had the ingredients for it and it wasn't like it tasted bad. Besides, they were eating healthily enough. It probably wouldn't hurt to have it.

Tsukasa nodded to herself. She was decided.

Her mind then switched focus. Namely, on Konata. She knew the bluenette had feelings for her, or at least showed signs of it. It was all a matter of time before she admitted it. Tsukasa giggled when she realized how familiar the whole scenario was. Kagami was the same with Misao – and if Misao could wait three months, surely Tsukasa could wait a few weeks.

She giggled some more, shacking her head. _Onee-chan and Konata __sure __are similar. __I__t's almost funny_.

"What'cha laughing about?" A familiar voice asked behind her. "Yo, Imouto. S'up?"

"Good afternoon, Misao" Tsukasa greeted. "Just finished practice?"

"Yeah." Misao grinned. "You sure seem to be in a good mood. Something happen?"

Tsukasa shook her head. "No, just thinking of Konata"

Misao blinked before laughing a hearty laugh. "Well, I suppose that isn't a surprise. She answered you yet?"

She shook her head once more. "I'm not rushing her. I can wait." The shorter girl smiled. "If anything, you had to wait for longer"

Misao winced. "Uhh, don't remind me. Kagami was being a total pain back then"

Tsukasa tilted her head curiously. "Huh? But you always seemed so happy with her back then"

"That's because I _was _– and I still am. Doesn't change the fact that she was a pain, though"

"I'm not disagreeing." Tsukasa said innocently

"Oo, talking back. I like this new side of you." Misao said with a smirk. "Anyway, what's new in the world of the class next door? The test scores should be posted some time this week. How you feel about them?"

The shorter girl sweatdropped. "I did my best"

Misao laughed again. "Ha! Same. Here's hoping we pass." She stopped walking. "Oi, Tsukasa, where you going? The station's here"

Tsukasa blinked. "Oh." She smiled and scratched her head. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

With that, they entered the station.

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano sank into her bed. Every night since last Wednesday, she had received a lecture from her sister. The guilt from the incident with Masaru was stronger than it had ever been. Masaru still talked to her – he was still the asshole she knew and loved – but something about the way he treated her seemed… different. Like he was being gentle with her. Her sister, Akira, on the other hand seemed like she was taking pleasure in making her feel bad.

"Uhhhh, why does she have to be such a bitch!?" Ayano groaned.

"I heard that. I'm a bitch because you aren't answering my question" She heard, muffled from the floor below. Akira was on kitchen duty and was busy cooking dinner.

Ayano groaned once more.

Akira had made good with her promise of pestering her until she gave an answer. Ayano truly didn't know. Very little could be said of her reasons for hospitalizing her ex-boyfriend. She was a little out of it when it happened and got caught up in the moment. It wasn't really clear what was going on inside her mind as that happened.

_Why _did _I kick him so violently…? _Ayano wondered._ Thinking about it, it ma__k__e__s__ no sense. Why did I get so angry at him that I'd actually physically hurt him? __All he did was talk down on Misao. It's not like he was doing anything different from the norm…? Uhh, I'm so confused… I hate this. I hate this so much…_

She sighed. There was little she could do. Try as she might, the answer wouldn't come. _Whatever. Maybe dinner won't be as antagonizing tonight. Mother should be back home early from work today…_

She continued lying down mind still wandering.

**LUCKY STAR**

[LUCKY CHANNEL!]

[Hiya luckies! I'm Akira Kogami, your navigator!]

[And I'm Minoru Shiraishi, assistant navigator!]

[So, Shiraishi, how was your weekend? I heard you went to visit a relative]

[Yeah. My parents, actually. They live out of town. I missed them a lot so it was a great weekend.]

[_Good for you. At least _your _parents seems nice…_]

[I'm gonna get a lot of flak for asking this but… Daddy issues?]

[_Nah, my mother actually. Anyway, we should play the next song. I'll have gotten over it by then…_]

[You sound upset_… _Need a hug_…_?]

[_Ew, no. Stay away from me_]

[Oh, come on. You know you want one.]

[_No I don't!_]

[You're blushing]

[_Shut up! _Anyway, this next song is… *mumbles* Yukkie Yesterday, the ED to the sixth episode of Mekaku City Actors… *mumbles* _Originally a vocaloid song… Got a remix for the anime… bah people don't need to hear this… _Brought to you by Studio Shaft. Enjoy!]

[You know that song is about a girl who can't be honest with her feelings.]

[_I said shut up!_]

~music start~

**LUCKY STAR**

**It's been a wonderful year for this fic. Within twelve months, I got it to over 170k words. If I kept up the pace I had when I first started – 6k word chapters every week – this would probably already be 250k words long or something. Oh well.**

**The end is still far away, but it's already visible. They have four months left before it's all over. Of course, the matter at hand as of this chapter is… well… a lot of things.**

**Konata's relationship troubles is probably the most easy going ones in this fic, especially compared to Kagami and Misao who are a very miserable couple. Man, this contrast. I never expected writing it to be this satisfying.**

**As for Yutaka and Minami, looks like the problem with the letters is starting to get out of hand. Last week, Patricia got one, now, Kagami. As for the one Tsukasa got some weeks prior, none were sent to her since. The plot thickens?**

**And finally, there's Ayano. Really, I feel sorry for her. If I could make all her troubles just stop and still make the story entertaining, I'd do it. As abusive as she was to Masaru, she doesn't deserve how I'm treating her. Don't worry Ayano, endure for a little while longer. Your arc will end eventually.**

**Speaking of Ayano, I have story to promote:  
_Because I Want Her _by Lil' Bean Murderer. A small AU story in which Ayano has social anxiety and falls in love with Misao. Ayano/Misao stories are very few and only one comes to mind when asked for a long fic. Ayano's character is relatable to a degree, with creative use of analogies and metaphors to show how the character feels. Misao is also cute and energetic, and all of the scenes that involve people interacting with her is perhaps the most entertaining scenes I've ever read that involve Misao. Overall, it's a great story that I highly recommend. As of this writing, it has 4 chapters and 10k words. Feel free to give it a read.**

**Well, that puts an end to this really long end note. I seem to be making it a habit to extend the length of these end notes. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And may this story have many more. Here's hoping I finish this story before 2015 ends. Only time will tell.**

**I hope you enjoyed reading this story. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Til' the next chapter!**


	36. The clouds have passed the horizon

**How long has it been? TWO FREAKIN' MONTHS!? Holy crap, I'm really sorry for that. I never meant to take so long. Just... well, school recently started back up in the Philippines and another story is taking up most my free time.  
I hope this new chapter is compensation enough to forgive me.  
**

**_The clouds have passed the horizon_: it is no longer raining! Ain't that swell? That said, it won't be gone forever. As the famous nursery rhyme goes, rain rain go away come again another day. Who knows what drama awaits everyone next?**

**Enjoy!**

**LUCKY STAR**

A week of preparation had left Konata Izumi as ready as she'd ever be to tell the girl she loved exactly how much she loved her. All she had to do was go the karaoke place and she could finally enact her plan.

That said, they were experiencing some trouble as they went there. The karaoke place nearest to Ryoo was currently being investigated by the police as someone had apparently rented a booth there for six hours and ended up hospitalized due to to an overdose in illegal drugs. The second nearest place, near the supermarket some ways from the school, was packed with people because the _first_ nearest karaoke place was unavailable - the students who wanted to karaoke had to find someplace else that was near the school. _Another_ place that was one train station away was _similarly_ packed as a near exact case happened to _another _karaoke place near a _different _school.

And so, Konata walked nervously through the streets, accompanied by an irritated Kagami, fairly cheerful Misao and Miyuki, and somewhat tired Tsukasa and Ayano.

Kagami was quite vocal with her complaints. She served as the voice for everyone else's complaints as well since, indeed, they too were starting to get annoyed at how things were going.

"You have got to be kidding me. That was the third one! Did _every _karaoke joint near a school let some nut job with drugs pass out in one of their booths!?"

"I don't know, Kagami." Konata said flatly, not quite sure how to react to her situation anymore.

It was like she were the protagonist in an anime. _Of course_ stuff was happening to her. Her story wouldn't be interesting otherwise.

_But I don't _want _to be the protagonist. _Konata argued in her head. _For once in my life, I actually want a _small_ presence – one that's as small as the space my body takes up! Stop focusing on me, dammit! __Make me a side character in __a boring episode from a slice of life anime, not __the main character in some__ cliché rom-com __episode__!_

Much to her dismay, though not at all to her surprise, her wishes weren't granted. She wasn't in an anime, romantic comedy or otherwise. She knew of the distinction quite well. The wall between reality and anime was there. It could be leaned upon. It could even be broken. But the wall was there, and neither she nor the anime characters who were aware of it could cross over to the other side. And as much as she had agonized that fact over the years, she had come to accept it.

_Oh dammit dammit DAMMIT! _She thought, shaking her head. _I have enough problems without all these depressing __and DISTRACTING__ thoughts clouding my mind. Not only is it not helping, it's also taking up time __that __could __be __use__d__ to solv__e__ this problem. I need something to make them go away!_

As if there to answer Konata's unspoken request, Tsukasa quietly hugged the shorter girl from behind, infusing her with what seemed like a concentrated dose of happiness that was nothing short of electrifying.

"If things aren't going as planned, you could always improvise, right?" Tsukasa whispered as she pulled away.

Konata smiled wryly. "Right…" _Well wouldn't you know it, the student has become the master. To think I only got her into improv last month. Oh how time flies_…

"Okay, I'm guessing you guys are tired?" Konata asked the others, sounding quite a bit tired herself.

"Yeah. Couldn't you tell?" Kagami grumbled. "Nope" Misao quipped with a grin. "I'm feeling a little thirsty but no, I'd say I'm fine" Miyuki answered. "I could use a bit of rest…" Ayano said quietly. "Same here…" Tsukasa agreed is a similarly soft voice.

Konata sighed. "Yeah, figured as much." She shook her head and pulled out her phone. "Okay, I'm gonna have to cash in a few favors. Guys, we're going back to the train station for now." She couldn't help but chuckle at the collective groan that followed her statement. She turned to Tsukasa and winked "Tsukasa, if you would…"

As the group began moving, Konata began sending a series of texts. Tsukasa, probably realizing what Konata meant, quickly began walking behind the bluenette, nudging her left and right to avoid obstacles in their way and to keep her on track.

Even as she texted, a sense of pride and joy seemed to spread through Konata. She was putting literally all her trust in Tsukasa to keep her from stumbling – and Tsukasa was delivering. The happiness she felt at knowing they could share something like this felt almost unreal. It wholly cemented the fact in Konata's mind that she loved Tsukasa and she need only tell her so.

Not that she wasn't sure before. The reason they were even out on their little _adventure _was because Konata was to give Tsukasa her reply. And her reply was a very solid _yes_. Indeed, Konata did love Tsukasa back. What she said the week prior was just because she was so happy and–

Konata shook her head once more. _Distractions, distractions. __Distracting __me __from__ action. _She thought with a sing-song voice even as she scowled in an attempt to clear her mind. _Now where was I…?_

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, I'm here to hang out again!"

Yutaka had just arrived home and was in the process of removing her shoes when she heard the sound of engines roaring and tires screeching right outside the house. Shortly after, her sister, Yui, burst through the door with the energy and enthusiasm of an entire stadium of sports fans.

"Good afternoon, Onee-san." Yutaka greeted cheerfully. "Is it your day off already?"

"Nah, I spent the day training a couple of rookies. We got into some trouble – a lot of it. It was nasty." Yui gagged, as she recalled the events of the day as she experienced it. "Everything was fine til' about a few hours ago. We got five simultaneous cases of illegal drug overdose victims locked in karaoke booths."

Yutaka shuddered. She had seen something like that during her years at the hospital and it was not a pretty sight. Though, from what Yui described, the cases that day were substantially more unpleasant than what she had once seen. "Are you okay, sis?"

Yui shook her head. "No, not really. It's one of the reasons I had to take leave. I just couldn't handle it, you know?"

Yutaka blinked, suddenly realizing something. "I thought you were a traffic cop?"

"I _was_. I got offered a promotion of sorts this week after one our older guys got let go." Yui looked down solemnly. "I'm kinda regret accepting that offer though…" She shook her head and she was back to her normal energetic self. "But enough of that. A couple of hours spent with my angel of a little sister should be enough to cheer me up!"

With that, the woman with ocean blue hair kicked off her shoes and dashed for the kitchen, leaving Yutaka sweatdropping at the sight.

She sighed. _Maybe a couple of hours with Onee-chan is something I need too. I know for sure it'd cheer me up. _She slipped on the in-doors slippers and follower her sister into the kitchen.

**LUCKY STAR**

"I'm sorry to have kept you, Minami" Nurse Amahara apologized.

Fuyuki Amahara and Minami Iwasaki, School Nurse and Nurse's Aid respectively, had stayed at school late for reasons fairly simple. Nurse Amahara was in need of assistance in taking inventory and Minami Iwasaki volunteered to help, something said student was keen on reminding the nurse.

"It's fine, Miss Amahara. I volunteered to help so you do not need to apologize for keeping me" Minami said flatly "Speaking of which, what time is it?"

Amahara checked her watch, noting how late it had become. "A quarter to five. You should get going, Minami. It's almost winter so the sun sets earlier than it usually does."

Minami nodded, shouldering her bag. "Good night, Miss Amahara"

"Stay safe, Minami. Have a good weekend. Be sure to inform me of anything supernatural to come your way"

With that, she left the nurse's office, passing Ms Sakuraba on her way in.

That day, she and Yutaka had not gone home together. Had the shorter girl received another letter? Minami didn't know.

Official school investigations on the who had sent said letters had begun but progress didn't seem any more prominent than when Minami was working at it on her own. In other words, no new information has been gathered since the investigation began at the start of that week – other than information that should _not _have been made public.

She frowned. _This investigation is n__ei__t__her__ subtle nor aggressive enough. __On t__he first day of investigations, lockers were forced open and their contents were inspected. They found eight letters, more than half of which were love letters. The letters that attacked the school's homosexuals were also found but it also outed __some__ of those who were still in-the closet – that is __to say__, those who were still keeping their sexuality secret. __Two __of __those outed __stopped going to school.__ The disciplinary committee's methods lack tact._

_Thinking positively, at least the letters have stopped being sent – __at least to us. _Minami thought. _But the problem isn't solved yet. These people haven't been brought to justice…_

_Justice… _She chuckled bitterly. _If these letters weren't targeting students, it's probable that none of these 'investigations' would happen __at all__. __The fact that __we__'re students is the only reason this matter is even being considered. __No one would do a thing to stop these monsters without a name __because everyone has closed their minds to the possibility that people like us are human beings with feelings__. __Most people would tolerate us… but they wouldn't care about whatever terrible thing__s__ might __happen to us._

Minami stopped walking and took a deep breath, noting how tensed up she suddenly was. With a deep inhale and slow exhale, she unclenched her fists and let her shoulders relax. _I must__n't let these feelings of anger get the better of me. I have more self control than this…_

After sufficiently calming herself down, Minami began walking once more.

**LUCKY STAR**

A knock on the Kusakabe residence's front door left it's only occupant at the time in a state to mild yet profound confusion. They weren't expecting visitors, and Misao wouldn't be home until later that night. Who would visit them then? The answer presented itself to the one boy in the house quite easily as he simply went to see who it was.

"Oh… it's you" Masaru muttered upon seeing who it was behind the door.

"Hey." Akira Minegishi smiled cheerfully at the boy. "Came to check on you."

"I told you, I'm fine" Masaru said dryly before closing the door, the lock clicking softly as it smoothly slid into the door frame. Suddenly the door shot open, with a pissed looking Akira glaring back at him. Masaru frowned. "Don't slam the door" He scolded boredly. Akira gave him a look of disgust to which he responded with his own look of mock disbelief. "…What? Did I do something wrong?" He asked, voice practically oozing with sarcasm.

Akira sighed and stepped past the threshold, kicking off her shoes and walking to the living room.

"Bad day, huh?" Masaru noted before closing the door and following her inside.

Akira sat down at the coffee table and set up her laptop. As she did so, Masaru took the time to note the girl's physical state. She looked fatigued, though that wasn't new. She was taking an engineering course at a nearby university – tired was very much the norm for her ever since she graduated high school. However, the fatigue Masaru noticed was not of the exhaustion inherent to someone like her. It was something deeper and much closer to home, he felt. And it didn't help that she wasn't wearing make up that day.

"So, something up?" He asked, easing himself onto a seat. "Something from home?"

"Yeah, that's actually one of the reasons I came here"

Masaru afforded himself a smug smirk. _Bingo. _He thought, pleased with himself. _And, as always, __this girl gets __straight to the point. __Alright, lay down your cards and let's see how it looks_

"I've been guilt tripping Ayano." Akira stated curtly.

"Idiot" Masaru said almost immediately after those words left the girl's mouth. "I told all of you, I'm fine. I don't want her blaming herself any more than necessary. What you're doing is stupid"

The dark orange haired girl scowled. "No, what I'm doing is cruel." She said, not really helping her case in Masaru's eyes. "But it's the only way I can think of for her to realize the truth"

_Cruel? __Yeah, pretty fucking cruel__. _The boy rolled his eyes in annoyance. "The truth to _what_, exactly?"

"The reason she got so angry at you in the first place"

Masaru laughed. "Well, good fucking luck. That girl's so caught up in the lie she's been living this past three years that she actually believes it's true. I'm starting to believe she never knew it was a lie in the first place"

"That's bullshit." Akira snapped "She knows deep down and just won't accept it. The only way she'll accept it is if she realizes the truth herself."

"Like I said, good fucking luck."

The two stared at each other, shooting daggers from their eyes like it was a knife throwing competition. Neither was willing to back down so they stayed that way for quite some time. Only with the sound of a microwave ringing did they allow their gaze to falter. Masaru stood and made for the kitchen.

_Geez, girl, what the fuck? Even _I'm _not that harsh to my little sister._

**LUCKY STAR**

"Tamura, you're doing _it _again."

Hiyori blinked. She had barely noticed that, once more, in her hand, was a crumpled piece of paper torn from her sketch pad. Uncrumpling said paper surprised her in that it did not contain a drawing of one Patricia Martin as is did in the past. Rather, it was a background: An airport with a plane taking off – or at least it was supposed to be…

Ko peered over Hiyori's shoulder and muttered dryly. "Tamura, something tells me you've never seen an airport before – or an airplane…"

Hiyori sighed. "No, I haven't. The next chapter of my story involves someone going abroad but I'm having trouble drawing the scene that shows the airport"

"Why not just, I don't know, make a crowd of people and at a text box at the top of the page saying '_airport_'?"

Hiyori stood and looked at Ko in disgust. "How dare you even suggest such a lazy method of doing things!? My work has _quality _and _integrity_! I'm doing this right!"

"Huh? So you gonna go to an airport?"

"Yes." Hiyori said a-matter-of-factly "And _you're _coming with me."

Ko blinked. "Wait, what?" Right as Hiyori was shouldering her bag and leaving, Ko grabbed her own bag and jumped in front of the manga artist. "Okay, what makes you think I'm going?"

"Please? I'll owe you a favor"

Ko looked at the glasses girl with a tired annoyance. "Tamura, you owe me fourteen favors already. If you keep this up, you're gonna be in my debt for the rest of your life"

"Well, that's because you refuse to cash any of them in!" Hiyori said angrily. She sighed, before bowing low. "Please, senpai. Just an afternoon taking pictures at the airport. I can even wait until winter break starts. Please!"

"Why not just ask the Martin girl? I heard she was going back stateside once break starts."

Upon hearing those words, all the air inside the room seemed to have been instantaneously sucked into oblivion, leaving a certain silence hanging in the empty space the air once occupied.

"Tamura…? Tamura, what's wrong?"

Everything was faint – like if sound was an image and it was blurred beyond recognition. And even actual the images she saw with her own two eyes seemed to be blurring. And she couldn't breathe. It was like being under water. But with a blink, suddenly everything was back to normal. Ko was still looking at her worriedly and she herself was still…

"She's leaving…?" Hiyori asked quietly. _Just when we became friends again…? _She wanted to add. She shook her head in confusion.

"Wait, you didn't know? There was talk all about it from the first years in our club. You're telling me you weren't paying attention?" Hiyori shrunk. Ko scratched the back of her head. "Ah, Tamura, what am I going to do with you…?"

Ko stepped forward and put her hand on Hiyori's head. "Look kid, she's not gonna be gone forever. Just wait it out and don't let it get to ya." She said with a reassuring smile. It somehow worked – Hiyori felt reassured. "Besides, you've still got some time 'til winter break. Why not make the most of it?"

Hiyori nodded sullenly, sad smile adorning her face. The silence that followed didn't feel quite as empty. It was however, short lived.

They both suddenly jumped at two simultaneous ring tones. Hiyori checked her phone and Ko did the same. They both got a text message from Konata.

"Looks like you've got a chance to pay some of your debts today" Ko said with a grin. "C'mon, Izumi-senpai's got a job for us" With that, she dashed out of the room.

Hiyori nodded and followed the blonde out the door.

**LUCKY STAR**

As Minami walked to the station she notice how there were a lot of police officers walking around. Feeling uncharacteristically nosy, she decided to walk up to one and ask what's going on.

"Excuse me, officer?" Minami said, catching the police woman's attention.

"Well, _you're _out late. After-school club activities?" The woman asked.

"Something like that." Minami looked around anxiously. The karaoke place her senpais were supposed to go to was nearby. "Did something happen here?"

"Yeah. Terrible stuff. Maybe two or three hours ago, some drug addicts were found passed out inside of a karaoke booth. The place had to stop business for the day so we could perform investigations. Can't say much else – official police business and stuff"

The feeling of dread growing inside of Minami seemed to subside when she found out that the place was already closed when Miyuki and her other senpais arrived. "So it was hours ago. That's a relief..." She breathed.

"I take it that your friends were going to karaoke today? Well, they had to find someplace else. Don't worry, they should be fine."

Minami nodded and continued on her way.

**LUCKY STAR**

"What I'm saying is, that's a shitty way to be a big sister"

"Oh, and what makes you any different!?" Akira yelled.

Masaru growled in annoyance. They weren't getting anywhere with this. It was just a back and forth banter that was going in circles. Akira was as stubborn as her sister. How was he supposed to convince her to lay off with the guilt tripping when she threatened to get all violent. It was like he was in his relationship with Ayano all over again, except this time, he wasn't in it willingly.

"What makes me different is that Misao can take it. Do you have any idea how fragile Ayano is?"

"But what about what she did to you? What about what she put you through for _three years_!?"

Masaru winced.

Yeah, their relationship was far from perfect. Hell, it wasn't even happy. It was a miracle his patience lasted as long as it did. But he knew what he was getting himself into. He had known Ayano for nine years already by the time they gotten together. He had accepted his fate the moment he said yes

"What she put me through was something I chose for myself." Masaru said quietly. "You could say my goal was the same one you're trying to achieve right now."

Akira looked at him skeptically. "Explain..."

Masaru grit his teeth. _Fine..._

**LUCKY STAR**

"_Hey… uh… Masaru…?" Ayano asked quietly_

_Masaru looked away from his laptop to see a middle school senior with bright orange hair look at him with similarly bright blue eyes. This was the first time his best friend's sister ever called him, not by the nickname she gave him, Masa-kun, but by his first name – and without honorifics at that. She looked ever so shy and cute._

_Of course, he had to keep appearances - and to most, he appeared to be a gruff and not overly nice person. So he replied as such. "What do you want, Ayano?" He asked dryly._

"_I was just wondering if you're… you know, free this Saturday…"_

_Masaru looked at her skeptically. _Okay, what the actual fuck? Is she asking me out on a date? _"Yeah, I'm free but…"_

"_Please…" Ayano looked down._

Oh, crap, she is. _Masaru grit his teeth. _How the hell did this even happen? As far as I can tell, she thinks I'm just some asshole who's related to Misao. Now she's asking me out? Is this some sort of joke? Did someone dare her? _He noticed Misao worriedly watching from around the corner. Masaru glared at her. _Oh you fucking bitch, you forced this onto her didn't you?

"_Please…!" Ayano repeated more forcefully, causing the boy's stern look on his sister to falter._

"…_This… This isn't some sort of dare, is it…?" When Ayano didn't answer, Masaru simply scowled at his laptop screen, the various colorful explosions of the video game on screen no longer keeping his interest. _It's not a dare. No one's forcing her…

_With a lot of reluctance, Masaru agreed on the date. "Sure… I'll pick you up at six… We can go see a movie or something…"_

"… _Thank you…" Ayano said quietly, before stalking off to join Misao who gave her a hand on her shoulder and a sad but reassuring smile._

No one's forcing her… except herself…? _Masaru looked __away from the scene, suddenly feeling terrible. _This wasn't a dare. I just know it isn't…

_He exited the video game and put his computer to sleep before putting it aside and leaning forward, hands clenched into fists at the edges of the table. _I get the feeling that my decision will make me really fucking miserable… But why am I more worried about Ayano…?

_He shook his head before picking up his laptop and leaving. _I need some air…

**LUCKY STAR**

_Hiyori stood on the roof, glaring through the fence. She was waiting for someone to say something important and it was not something she wanted to wait on. Thankfully, she didn't need to wait long. The door opened and out came Patricia Martin, busty and blonde, with a smug grin on her face._

_Patricia casually walked over to Hiyori. "So, what'd you wanna talk about?"_

_Hiyori turned and slapped the blonde. The manga artist stared icy daggers at her before replying with coldness equal to that of said gaze. "We're over, Patricia Martin."_

_Patrica brought a hand up to her cheek and rubbed it gingerly before looking at Hiyori in outrage. "_The fuck!?_" She yelled in English. "What did I do this time!?"_

"_Exactly what you've _always_ been doing! You've been telling me I should just say so if something's bothering me but why is it that when I do exactly that, you ignore me!? Am I that unimportant to you!? Am I really just some girl who you get to have sex with!? Every time I ask that, you answer no, but is that really true!?"_

"_I…" Patricia frowned and looked down. "Fine! It's over, then! See if I care!" Patricia turned and left, stomping to the door which she curtly slammed shut on her way down._

_Hiyori sighed, leaning backwards against the fence and letting herself slide to the floor. "Well… I told her how I feel…" She muttered to herself, voice cracking. "At least it's finally over…"_

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori stared awkwardly in the opposite direction of a certain girl whom Konata had also called to assist. Really, she should have expected this but somehow, seeing her face at that particular moment came like punch to the gut.

"Yo, Hiyori, Ko-senpai." Patricia greeted with a tired wave.

Her desire to be polite overruling her desire to leave, Hiyori turned around and returned the greeting along with Ko.

"I reckon senpai sent you a text too?" Ko asked

"Yeah. I've got my stuff, how about you guys?"

"Yup. Me and Tamura got what Izumi-senpai asked of us. Now we've just gotta set it up"

And set up they did. Ko got to work uncurling the extension cords, Hiyori connected the projector and laptop, while Patricia set up the speakers. While Ko got busy looking for an electrical outlet to plug into that didn't require her to look for another extension cord, Patricia and Hiyori had a little chat.

"So… you're going back to America come winter break…?" Hiyori asked quietly, not really expecting an answer.

"…You heard…?" Patricia asked, though it didn't feel like it was a question that wanted an answer either. She chuckled and shook her head. "… Yeah. Been planning to for a long time…"

"… Why didn't you tell me…?"

"Honestly? I didn't think you'd care."

Somehow, that didn't surprise Hiyori one bit. But hearing it seemed to open wounds that were still in the process of healing. _Why_? Why didn't she think Hiyori would care? Why was she so insensitive so as to think such a ridiculous thing? The raven haired girl just seethed with outrage just thinking about it.

"Why do you keep doing that…!?" Patricia said angrily, snapping Hiyori out of her own thoughts. "Why do you keep raging over stuff that doesn't matter? I don't understand…"

"Patricia…" Hiyori breathed. Even in the calm silence of the empty school campus, her voice felt small.

"I don't understand… Why do you care so much…?" Patricia slowly fell to her knees. "Why did you just keep getting angry at me…? Why didn't you just let me go!? Leave me! Ignore me! Cut ties and never speak to me again! Why didn't you do that!?" Her voice broke as a single tear fell down her cheek. "Why didn't you just leave me the moment the relationship didn't work out of you…? Why did you force a relationship that obviously wouldn't work…?"

The manga artist swallowed, feeling once more like the air had grown so thin so as to just disappear. "Because I _wanted _it to work…"

"I don't understand!" Patricia yelled. "I don't understand…" She repeated in a softer voice.

Hiyori stood and walked over to Patricia before forcing the blonde to her feet and slapping her. The sound of palm colliding with cheek echoed into the night.

"_What_ is so hard to understand!?" Hiyori asked harshly. "I love you. Whether as a friend or as a lover, it doesn't matter. I love you. I wanted to be happy with you. Why was _that_ so hard to understand!?"

As the blonde just looked at her with pained confusion, Hiyori felt angry – no, furious – no, completely and utterly taken by rage – rage at how she finally understood. She finally understood that Patricia simply _didn't_ – and never would.

She could almost feel pity for the blonde. All the times she had asked Hiyori to explain – had asked to be told what was wrong – none of them mattered because it was more than likely that Patricia simply didn't understand of word of it. Their relationship was doomed from the start, and knowing that brought a certain clarity to Hiyori.

They wanted different things, Hiyori felt. She knew she would never get anything more out of their relationship than sex and she finally felt ready to accept that. Everything else about their relationship was shallow, at best, and even though Hiyori could tell Patricia cared for her, her attachment wasn't deep. It would probably be better if they had simply stayed as they once were: friends – perhaps even friends with benefits.

As Hiyori's anger subsided, she felt a smile grow on her face. It felt sad – pained even – but real. It felt hopeful. She had finally let go. Maybe she could finally move on now…?

She looked at the blond, standing stiffly in front of her. She looked hurt in more ways than one. "You hate me now, don't you…?" Patricia asked quietly. "I'm sorry I don't understand. I'm sorry I can't. I'm sorry…"

Hiyori shook her head and gave Patricia a hug. "It's fine, Patty. I forgive you. My mind is still raging on whether or not I _should_, but I forgive you." She gave her a kiss on the lips. It was a tame one in comparison to how they normally kissed but somehow it felt much more passionate. She pulled away slowly, whispering. "I still love you, Patty. But I know when to give up…" Hiyori released Patricia from the embrace. "Consider the two of us over for good…"

Patricia looked at the raven haired girl, wide eyed and crying. She smiled, ever so slightly. The blonde threw her arms around Hiyori, locking them into a hug once more, sobbing quietly into her chest.

Hiyori chuckled, stroking the blonde's hair. "Let it all out…" She whispered.

_Patricia said she'll never get her happy ending. I'm more inclined to believe her now… _She closed her eyes. _I almost feel sorry for her…_

**LUCKY STAR**

With a certain amount of confusion, Tsukasa and company found themselves walking back to school. When she asked Konata why, she merely smiled and told them that all would be clear once they got there. They were only a short distance from Ryoo and that gap was slowly being closed, but Tsukasa did not at all find any more clarity with the situation than she had earlier.

"Dammit, my feet are killing me" Kagami complained. Tsukasa turned behind her to see Misao pick up the older twin. "Hey, stop that!" Kagami shouted with a deep blush on her cheeks

"Hey, you said you were tired. Might as well, right?"

"But it's embarrassing...?" Kagami said quietly.

Misao grinned. "Good."

With a flustered reluctance obvious to even Tsukasa, Kagami lowered her head and nodded.

Tsukasa watched the two with quiet curiosity. That was a rare display of affection between them. To Tsukasa's knowledge, Kagami liked to keep things tame - the most she had ever instigated was hand holding and even then that was rare. Misao on the other hand tended to take the lead, hugging and kissing the tsundere from out of the blue - Kagami would always stop her before anything ever came of it.

Then she remembered when she saw the two of them standing in the rain last week. They were having a _moment of intimacy_, Konata had said. Tsukasa didn't quite understand what she meant. Now, she might just have it. That was how the two of them showed affection to each other. Their mere presence was enough for them. It was amazing.

"They're not a perfect couple, but they really do love each other..." Tsukasa whispered to herself. "And they both know they love each other..." She stared at Konata's back, the bluenette still marching on in front of them. "I know she feels the same way. I'm only waiting for her to admit it..." She shook her head. "Then why do I feel so tense right now? Why do I feel so uncertain? Why am I so afraid? Why...?"

"Hey..." Tsukasa turned to her side to see that Misao was now walking beside her. In her arms was Kagami, staring with a calmness that felt strangely comforting.

"Relax, sis. Everything's gonna go fine." Kagami said with a tired smile. "You know how Konata is. Everything always has to be convoluted and weird with her. You know what's going to happen: she's gonna say she loves you back - you just don't know how she's gonna do it." She chuckled. "If I were you, I'd just stop worrying and enjoy the show. Whatever she has in mind, it's going to be great."

Misao laughed. "Heh, that's rich coming from you."

The tsundere scowled, cheeks turning a shade darker. "Is there a problem, Misao?"

Misao laughed louder "Nope, no problem at all"

Tsukasa smiled. "Okay..."

**LUCKY STAR**

"Yo, Yu-chan, whatcha' doing there? Moping?" Yui asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"Just thinking about mom." Yutaka said, looking quietly out the window. "I miss her…"

Yui chuckled "Well, you're not the only one. Haven't seen here since last Christmas"

Yutaka stood from her seat by the window and joined Yui on her bed. "Hey, Onee-chan. What was life like…? You know…before…"

"Before you first got hospitalized?" Yui sat up straight and smiled, seemingly eager to reminisce. "Well, it was definitely a happier time, that's for sure

"When you were born, I was still in elementary – just a happy, energetic, sorta boyish little girl. You, on the other hand, were an even happier and even more energetic little toddler. We were like two peas in a pod. I'd make up some crazy scheme and you'd follow me even though you were barely able to walk. Mom and Dad were always scolding me, telling me I was a bad influence, and would be a danger to you. I never really believed them until you stole a spoon from the kitchen and tried to force it into an electrical outlet because I said you'd get super powers from it."

They both wince from the memory. Yutaka's left hand had turned numb that night and Yui was so wracked with guilt that she couldn't sleep.

"Yeah, I was a terrible sister back then. Of course, the damage had already been done - you gained my reckless tendencies - so we spent the next few years trying to keep you from hurting yourself. It took a long time for you to start cooperating with us. Still, it was kinda fun seeing all the antics you'd pull"

Yutaka felt mortified. "Was I really that much of a handful?"

Yui laughed. "That, and then some." She shook her head slowly, looking thoughtful. "But I would have given anything to keep you that way…"

Yutaka frowned. "What happened?"

"Oh, you know _what_ happened."

"No, I don't. I know_ something _happened, just not _what_."

Yui blinked, apparently surprised at the revelation. "We didn't tell you?"

"No. All I know is that something happened when I was really young to make me as sickly as I am now and that I'd be told more about it once I was older… Then I moved here and never had the chance to ask about it again"

"Oh…" Yui said quietly, stroking her ocean blue hair. "You know what? I think you're more than old enough to know." She said, looking at Yutaka seriously. The red head simply nodded and let Yui tell her what happened. "You fell off a tree while you were climbing it"

Yutaka frowned. "Really? That was it?"

"Yeah."

"Was it a tall tree?" The red head asked.

"No really."

"Oh..."

"Anyway, you fell off a tree, broke your arm, and for some reason, you were sickly ever since." Yui crossed her arms and pouted. "Makes no sense to me either, to be honest. And it's unfair that you became so weak after that. You used to have so much energy. The fact that something so trivial doing that to you really grinds my gears, you know?"

Yutaka nodded quietly. "That was... well... it's not like I was expecting anything big like getting hit by a bus but..." She tiredly let her head tilt to the side. "That was a bit anticlimactic..."

"Eh, I can agree with you there." Yui's face suddenly lit up. "Ooh! _There's_ a word I haven't heard you use yet. Who'd you hear it from?"

"Well, Konata-nee-chan. Something about anime. She was talking to Kagami-senpai at the time"

"Do tell!"

"Um... okay...?"

And so, their conversation continued, with a tone much lighter than it had when it began.

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami quietly walked through the front door of the Iwasaki estate. Having just arrived home, she still wore her uniform but planned to change the moment she got to her room. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she was met with surprise. She had been trudging along with her head down and her eyes looking towards her feet and had not been aware of the two women sitting on the steps.

"M-minami… H-hello. I didn't hear you come in" Honoka said shakily, awkwardly trying to straighten out her shirt and hair, face still flushed from her earlier… activities… with the woman next to her.

That woman was Yukari, who wore similarly messy shirt and hair style as well as similarly red cheeks. "Y-yes." She agreed. "It's common courtesy to tell the people of the house that you're home…"

Minami blinked. "I'm home…" She said after the fact in her usual monotone

"Well, you're awfully cheeky today." Honoka noted. "Did something unpleasant happen?"

Minami frowned and thought for a bit. "Nothing… _happened_, per se…" She began. "Just a possibility… a very unpleasant one…"

Minami looked at Honoka who was similarly looking back at her. Then the mother glanced at the other mother, smiling apologetically. Minami turned her gaze to Yukari just long enough to see her nod in a look of quiet understanding before turning back to her mother.

As Honoka stood and gave her a hug, Minami couldn't help but wonder if being naturally adept at reading body language was something hereditary or if it was something learned from being with someone for long enough. She knew of only three people who could hold entire conversations without speaking: Miyuki, Yutaka, and herself – that list grew by two people just now. But the three of them were close. And she and Miyuki had mothers who were _also_ apparently adept at reading people. She had yet to see anyone else who was as effective as they were.

_Perhaps I should do research on it? _Minami thought. _Wow, look at this. I'm turning into Miyuki, with her impulsive curiosity. But this interests me, so I don't see why not_.

"You suddenly became distracted by something else when I hugged you" Honoka commented as she pulled away from the hug. "You seem happier. I take it you're cheered up now?"

"Hmm… You could say that. Thank you mother"

Honoka smiled. "No problem"

As Minami continued on towards her room, she uncharacteristically turned back to tease the two women. "You two should get a room."

Honoka blushed. "It's our house isn't it?" She argued in embarrassment.

"You were in the way."

Honoka looked away, accepting defeat with flushed cheeks. Yukari was similarly blushing. The two hurriedly walked down the steps and out of Minami's view.

Minami shook her head, chuckling in amusement.

**LUCKY STAR**

The bizarre scene before them was something akin to that of a comedy anime. It made no sense for it to be there and, frankly, it was a feat in itself that it was there in the first place. In the little niche behind the school building of all places was a makeshift stage of desks with small speakers on either side. Two rows of folding chairs were arranged in front of it - enough for eight people to watch. Behind the row of seats was another desk with a laptop and projector, lighting up the wall behind the stage with the wonderful image of two girls kissing - they didn't need to ask whose laptop it was as it was pretty obvious that it was Hiyori's.

Tsukasa stared at the stage in wonder. Konata had called for that. In less than thirty minutes, they delivered.

"Gotta hand it to Chibi. She pulled out all the stops for this." Misao said sitting down at the second row.

Kagami chuckled sitting down next to her. "Yeah. This is even more extravagant than her _last_ plan. Normally when you switch to the back up plan, you scale _downward_. Not this." She shook her head. "Still, something like this just screams _Konata_. This is exactly the sort of thing you expect from her."

"I gave her the idea. The original plan involving karaoke was mine, actually." Miyuki said cheerfully. "I can somewhat understand the train of thought for her to instead do a concert. After all, it does involve singing."

"I don't think I'll get to sing but I'm excited anyway." Ayano said. "I heard a lot from Kagami-san that Izumi-san has a very nice singing voice."

Miyuki and Ayano sat down on the other folding chairs, also in the second row.

"Well what are you doing just standing there?" Misao asked suddenly, causing Tsukasa to jump. "Just sit down, Imouto."

Tsukasa nodded and made her way to the seat on the far left, only to have someone else sit there. It was... "Ms. Kuroi?"

The blonde teacher gave a cheerful grin. "Evening. You excited?"

"Er... yes, I am." Tsukasa moved to take the seat on the far right but was again foiled when another person sat. "Um, hello"

"Heya, senpai! I'm Ko Yasaka. You're Izumi-senpai's girlfriend, right? Nice to meet ya" Ko held out a hand which Tsukasa reluctantly shook.

She sighed and took one of the middle seat on the front row.

Konata on the stage holding a mic. "Testing. Testing... Hiyori, turn up the volume a little." Behind them, on the laptop was Hiyori and Patricia fumbling with the laptop and projector. "Testing. Okay, this should be good. Thanks." Konata then turned to face the audience - rather directly to Tsukasa.

"Yo, how's it going." She greeted cheerfully. "As you all know, a series of unfortunate events has caused me to scrap my earlier, much easier plan of simply bringing you all to a karaoke place and having a grand old time there."

"Every single karaoke place had drug addicts for patrons today" Kagami said.

"Hey, no heckling." Konata scolded. "Anyway, because of that, I had to improvise. Thus, here we are today, behind the school having a concert" She said gesturing to her surroundings. Then she looked at Tsukasa. "And said concert is dedicated to my girlfriend, Tsukasa Hiiragi..." She maintained eye contact for a good while before blinking and looking back to the audience in general. "Anyway, I hope you all enjoy. Hiyori, do the thing."

The light from the projector turned dark for a few seconds before a spot light of white illuminated just Konata on the stage. Then the music started - an electronic whistle and the light tapping of cymbals followed by an upbeat melody of keyboard and drums.

_~Saw a star and made a little wish but_  
_Gotta wonder how it's gonna get to you_  
_With the wishes everybody's wishing_  
_All on one little star~_

It sounded familiar. She swore she heard it before but she couldn't quite remember. The memory was faint - the only thing she knew for sure was that Konata had been a part of it.

_~Now I'm thinking "Something is wrong with this._  
_All the time I'm wondering where you are."_  
_But you don't seem to understand that_  
_Something's going on~_

Tsukasa couldn't help but feel entranced. Konata looked happier than she had ever seen - and listening to the lyrics made Tsukasa feel happy in turn.

_~So just STOP_  
_Think back, take a look at me_  
_Cuz' you can't erase, escape,_  
_or ever get rid of me!~_

Konata looked at Tsukasa with a bright smile and equally bright eyes. Tsukasa felt surprisingly calm. She almost didn't hear the music, just the sound of Konata's voice. All around them was darkness, and the only light was Konata, singing in a voice that gave the younger Hiiragi twin goose bumps.

_~Harmony for you. Harmony for two_  
_And all my life I'm gonna be dreaming of you you_

_Now I've got to try. Gotta keep my head held high_  
_When I'm looking around and I can't figure out where this is going_

_Gotta prove what I can do_  
_It'll lead me back to you_  
_You're the one til I can see_  
_What it is that I should be~_

Something clicked inside Tsukasa. _This is from Haruhi..._ She realized. _That's why I think of Konata when I hear this song. It's from her favorite show._ She smiled, happy that she finally got one of Konata's anime references.

As the audience applauded, Tsukasa was knocked out of her stupor. Around her were her friends and Konata once again stood on the stage, except that the light shining on her was no longer a spot light but the VLC Media Player logo. It quickly turn back into a spot light. "Sorry," Hiyori called.

"Well, I'm glad you all enjoyed that. Last Wednesday, Tsukasa told me that she loved me." Konata said with a chuckle. "Believe it or not, that the first time she actually said it out loud. I was freakin' terrified when she said that, you know? Like, how do I respond? Should I joke about it? Should I slap her and lean in for a kiss? What am I thinking, why the heck would I slap her, right? I thought of that because I remembered it from my dating sims and visual novels. I'll be honest, not one of the choices I remember choosing would work. So I stalled for a weeks. Now here we are"

Konata smiled and looked at Tsukasa. "Tsukasa, I love you. I know you know that. I know everyone else here knows that. But I had to say it. I had to say it like this: during concert I literally had prepared mere minutes ago. The sheer absurdity of the whole thing is what gave me the courage to say it at all. So while that courage is still with me, I'll say it again. Tsukasa Hiiragi, I love you."

Tsukasa stood. She didn't know what came over her. She just stood and climbed up on stage. She walked to Konata's side and looked at her in as straight a face as her teary eyed emotional state allowed. With both hands, she slapped Konata face, squeezing her cheeks. "Konata Izumi, I love you too" With that, she pulled her into a kiss.

Hiyori, holding a handkerchief against her nose, quickly laid a sheet of cellophane over the projector, turning the spot light pink. The rest of the audience cheered as the two finally said what they wanted to say. More music started playing, and Konata began singing again. Others got to sing as well as Hiyori's playlist seemed to have a least one song that everyone liked. In the end, it was almost as if they DID have karaoke.

**LUCKY STAR**

[LUCKY CHANNEL!]

[Hiya Luckies! I'm Akira Kogami!]

[And I'm Minoru Shiraishi]

[I'm Navigator A]

[And I'm Navigator B. Evening everyone! It's the end of the week once more. To all you students tuning in, I hope you plan on enjoying your weekend. I know _I_ am.]

[Really now, Minoru? Wanna tell us what you plan on doing tomorrow?]

[Well, first I'm gonna do my homework and-]

[_Seriously? Homework? That's what 'enjoying your weekend' is to you?_]

[Hey, I happen to _like_ learning.]

[_Really? Then maybe you could spend your weekend with ME and LEARN the REAL meaning of 'enjoying your weekend'_]

[...Are... Are you asking me out on a date?]

[_No! Now shut up and answer!_]

[I don't know! That was a curve ball and I have no idea how to react! Put down your fists!]

[_Fine..._ Anyway, since this is the weekend, how bout' we have a good time with this jazzy ED to _Blood Blockade Battlefront_. _Sugar Song And Bitter Step_ by Unison Square Garden. Enjoy!]

[You say my segues are bad but yours are absolutely terrible]

[_Shut it. You're taking me, aren't you? Don't disrespect your date._]

[What? I never agreed to-]

~music start~

**LUCKY STAR**

**The insert-song for this chapter was _Tomare!_ the ED to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009)**

**You can thank Acsuperman for this new chapter. You can say his last update to "_The Rabbit and The Puppy_" was just the push of inspiration I needed to finish this.**

**Unfortunately, I may have lost my steam with this one. I personally think that the later parts aren't as good as the earlier parts. It feels kinda... i don't know, hollow? Especially that last segment with Konata's answer. It just doesn't have the emotional impact I want. Even _with_ that burst of inspiration, it wasn't enough. I sigh in disappointment.  
**

**Anyway, Patricia is leaving Japan. If anyone called it, you get a cookie. Like I said, her active role in the story is over. I'm just tying up loose ends before she's outta here.**

**Also, back story stuff! Do you see what I did there with the chapter title? Idk.**

**Anyway, sorry for the later chapter. Don't expect a new one any time soon but it'll get here eventually. Hopefully the quality will remain even next time.  
**


	37. Melancholic Morning

**Greetings! I come a week since the last update with another one. It's shorter that the more recent chapters but it serves its purpose.**

**What_ is_ that purpose, exactly? Well, let's just say it involves a _Morning of Melancholy_ for everyone involved... What, is that hint not good enough? Well then just read and find out!  
**

**Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Following a grueling series of exams, the second trimester ended not with a high note but, rather, a slow fade. The feeling of relief that Kagami Hiiragi experienced upon the beginning of winter break was comparable to slowly sinking into a hot bath. The stress of her days would slowly drain away as she relaxed in its warmth. That analogy, however, proved quite ironic as the older Hiiragi twin felt a static chill all over her body when she awoke that morning.

Opening her eyes, she noted a terrible ache in her joints as she sluggishly turned off her alarm.

_Why did I still have my alarm set? It's winter break, isn't it? I should be sleeping in,_ Kagami thought with a scowl and a shiver.

Sitting up and getting out of bed, she trudged towards the bathroom, still feeling the unfortunate effects of not getting a good night's sleep. Hoping to cure her drowsiness, she splashed water on her face.

That was a really bad idea, she realized. Yes, she was completely awake now, but her cheeks stung from contact with the burning cold water. It felt like she had just been slapped.

Rubbing the water and last remnants of sleep from her eyes, she began brushing her teeth. It took an agonizingly long time for her to do so thanks to how cold it was.

Already, she knew it was going to be a long day...

**LUCKY STAR**

With a huff, Hiyori rubbed her hands for warmth. She was wearing four layers of clothing yet the cold still seemed to be able to slip past, breaking through her defenses like an endless barrage of spiky needles from all sides. Even the heat of nearly a hundred people packed into an airport lobby didn't make the air any less chilly. Her breath still condensed into a puff of water vapor whenever she breathed. It was quite aggravating.

To her left was Konata, playing a video game on her DS with intense focus, seemingly oblivious to the cold. Peeking over her shoulder was Ko, watching eagerly as Konata mashed buttons, similarly immune to the weather's thermal embrace.

Two seats over was Yutaka sitting on Minami's lap, both of them holding each other close for warmth. Hiyori's heart leaped for joy at the sight - it was so cute, she could just burst with enthusiasm.

On the other side, on her right, was Patricia Martin, idly kicking her legs on the seat, keeping hold of her bag. She looked bored more than anything else, but an certain quiet melancholy seemed to surround her. Perhaps it was because she was leaving her friends behind for a time that she seemed so sad? After all, she _was_ going back to America that day.

Patricia's flight wasn't until much later, of course, but they all opted to wake up early and see her off. It was Ko's idea. Not only would Hiyori get to take the reference pictures she wanted to take, they also got to keep Patricia company while she waited.

But having finished her picture taking with Ko, Hiyori was left waiting with the others. It was awkward at best but a part of her felt happy that she still had some time to be with Patricia before she left, if only a few minutes.

She realized that it was a bittersweet thing, that happiness. The person she loved - one who was her girlfriend for five whole months - was leaving the country. She knew that Patricia was going to return to Japan once break ends, but she also knew that once she left, things wouldn't be the same again. She didn't know how she knew, but every fiber of her being felt it would be so.

Patricia stood, checking her phone for the time. "I should get going," she said.

Konata fumbled a bit with her buttons but eventually exited her game and put away her DS. Ko stretched her neck, probably feeling stiff from leaning over to see Konata's game. Yutaka jumped off of Minami's lap, allowing the taller girl to stand. Seeing her friends get up, Hiyori followed suit and stood up as well.

Hiyori looked at Patricia, not sure what to say to her. So she didn't say anything, and simply stepped forward and hugged the blonde. Hiyori closed her eyes and held Patricia close. After a few seconds, she moved to let go but suddenly felt like she was being squeezed for all sides. The others had joined in.

"Goodbye, everyone..." Patricia whispered. Of the people in the group hug, Hiyori was the only one who caught those words.

As everyone slowly let go, Patricia picked up her bag and walked. Hiyori watched every step she took in agonizing slow motion.

Hiyori was suddenly in a panic. She wanted time to stop. Let them be together for a little longer. They could start over. She knew what was wrong with their relationship. She could fix things

Patricia kept walking...

Why was Patricia leaving, anyway? How could Hiyori not ask that question!? Why did it take her until now to ask it!?

She kept on walking...

She had to do something - anything! Whatever it took! She couldn't let Patricia leave! Stay! She wanted her to stay!

She kept walking until she disappeared into the crowd...

_She's gone now..._ Hiyori thought numbly. _Nothing I can do anymore... _She felt her shoulders slump. _I told her that we're over for good and I need to stand by that statement. I just wish it doesn't cost us our friendship..._ She clenched her fists. _When you come back, we'll still be friends, right...? Right...?_

Try as she might, she couldn't get herself to believe it.

She felt a tear stream down her cheek.

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Ko giving her a reassuring smile.

"Whatever happens, it happens," she said. "Just remember: We'll still be here."

All around her were the faces of her friends, looking with small smiles. Hiyori rubbed her eyes and nodded quietly.

With that, the five of them left the airport

**LUCKY STAR**

As Kagami waited at the kitchen table for her mother to finish cooking breakfast, she couldn't help but wonder how Misao was doing.

As strange as it may sound, Kagami had gotten used to being with Misao day in and day out. Aside from the fact that they were classmates, Kagami and Misao would often hang out with each other during break time and on weekends. Even the dreaded study dates they had on Saturdays had become an enjoyable experience for her. A good seventy percent of her waking days for the past several months were spent with Misao.

Perhaps it didn't sound strange to anyone else - that amount of time with someone would naturally form some sort of connection - but to Kagami, such an attachment was strange. It was strange in that Misao had been her friend for twelve years - and were in the same class as each other for just as long - but such an attachment had only formed in the last few months.

And in the process of building that connection, Kagami had been violently broken down by a tangled mess of emotions and was slowly put back together into a fragile replica of her former self.

All of it was self-imposed, of course. Misao may have been the catalyst, but putting Kagami through all that emotional turmoil had not been intentional. Nor were the trials that Misao was subjected to - that wasn't intentional either.

Kagami was well aware how difficult she was being in the past months. Yes, it was understandable, given her state of mind at the time, but she still wouldn't forgive herself for it. She never will.

Why should she? How can an unstable emotional state justify hurting someone that much for so long? It can't and it didn't, simple as that.

And yet, she knew that Misao had already forgiven her for it - that was all but certain to Kagami.

It only served to remind her that Misao was too good for her. Kagami was a bad girl friend - she knew this because Misao herself told her she was. The statement still stood as nothing in their months together had proved otherwise. Kagami didn't deserve her.

The guilt had been eating at her for a long time. Misao's statement telling her to be selfish only served to stall the beast ravaging her insides. Eventually she would crack - and who knew what would happen then.

Still, as she well knew, her time with Misao was precious to her. Selfish or not, she would hold on to it for dear life. Until the guilt consumed her outright, she would never let go.

Snapping Kagami out of her melancholic trance was Miki, setting down a bowl of ramen. The savory warmth would be a welcome dish, Kagami felt. She gave her mother a small smile and clasped her hand's together.

"Thank you for the food," Kagami said before digging in.

She felt the heat course through her body, making the pain more bearable - the pain from the cold as well as the pain in her heart.

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao rounded the corner and came into view of her house. Thus ended her last lap for that morning.

She had been doing laps around the neighborhood since before dawn and in that time had passed her house seventeen times. The first fifteen was for exercise while the last two were just for kicks.

She thought of it as a substitute for track practice. It wasn't nearly as strenuous nor as long, but it was at least something to help her maintain her edge. Said edge was what helped her win gold at the 100 meter dash during regionals that year. It was also that very same edge that would determine whether she got that scholarship for the college she wanted. That said, you'd have thought she'd be practicing harder than she was.

But she was on break and it was nearly Christmas. She could afford to goof-off a little in light of the holiday.

Misao cooled down with some stretches behind her house. While doing so, the topic of college came to mind.

Entrance exams had come and gone in the span of last month. She was unsure of her standing in terms of test scores but she had a good chance of getting in regardless as long as she was granted a scholarship. Kagami on the other hand had been aiming for a prestigious university - Misao was fairly confident that she'd get in but Kagami was always the sort to worry about stuff like that. Ayano also seemed to have a nice chance of getting into the school she wanted. As for the girls from the class next door, Miyuki was all but certain to get into her school as she had the highest scores in the school, while Imouto and Chibi still had no idea.

But really, none of them were completely sure of anything. After all, the future isn't set in stone. Complications might happen to change things they were once sure of and suddenly they're all walking completely different paths to what they were expecting.

One thing was for sure though: After they graduate high school, everyone would be going their separate ways.

Misao recalled Konata's spiel about slice of life anime some weeks ago: How the little things in one's high school life like the friendships shared with people were things to treasure while they had it. The fact that they were seniors had caught up with Konata. It caught up with Misao as well. Truly, she's gonna miss them when they're gone...

Misao laughed. "Look at me, moping like this. If Masaru were awake he'd be sure to blame this on Kagami." The wry smile she wore was one she couldn't control. There was just no helping it.

"And he'd be right about it too. Kagami is exactly the reason I act like this. This is the effect of the girl who thinks too much on the girl who doesn't think enough."

She sighed. "It's a lot harder to deal with things than when I was always winging it." She opened the door. "But life's hard. If these changes are from being with Kagami all the time, then I don't regret it. It's just me growing up and people won't ever stop growing"

She stepped inside the house, closing the door.

"I don't regret it. I never will."

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa opened her eyes to a world of darkness.

Sitting up, she looked around, slowly letting her eyes adjust to the lack of light. She was in her bed in her room, the curtains were closed, and the sky was probably cloudy - explaining why it was so dark.

She leaned over to her nightstand, clicked on her lamp, and checked the time. The clock said _11 am_.

A voice inside her head wondered: _Why was I allowed to sleep until eleven? Normally Kagami would wake me up at around six so we wouldn't be late for school._

Then it clicked that they were on vacation.

_Oh_, Tsukasa thought with apparent surprise. _Ehe, I forgot..._

Setting out of bed, she walked down to the kitchen where her parents and sisters were no doubt waiting for her. When she arrived, it turned out that she was only half right. Her _parent_ and _sister_ were there - both words singular.

"Good morning, Mom, Sis," the younger twin greeted, taking her seat at the table.

"Good morning, Tsukasa," Miki replied cheerfully

Kagami chuckled. "Well, at least you're awake before noon. Morning" She then rubbed her chin, deep in thought. "Looking back, you've been pretty good about waking up these past few months. Waking up at eleven is a bit of a step back isn't it?"

Tsukasa frowned. "Is it?"

"Uh... I don't know? Probably? You've been partially awake every time I went into your room to wake you up these past couple months. And in the weeks before summer break, you were been waking up all on your own."

Tsukasa blinked. "Oh..."

_I guess it IS a step back..._ Tsukasa realized. _I should try harder to wake up all on my own. If I could do it before I can do it again._

"Well, you certainly look determined, I'll give you that. Here's hoping you manage to follow through on that" Kagami said with a reassuring smile.

Tsukasa nodded.

Then there was a ring on the door bell.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata walked the streets feeling an odd mix of drowsiness, sadness, and excitement - she figured that the last part with the excitement was the reason she felt it was weird. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling nor was it the weirdest feeling she experienced, but she couldn't help but take note of it.

After Patricia disappeared into the crowd, Konata and company commuted back home. Yutaka and Minami separated first - they were going on a sort of date, if Konata recalled correctly. Hiyori and Ko dropped off next, heading home by Konata's best guess. That left Konata sitting alone on her seat in the train until it reached her stop.

And when it did, all Konata could do was walk quietly back to her house. Once there, she opened the door, entered, kicked off her shoes, and climbed up to her room upstairs.

Her father still had some days work left before he got his two weeks of break - and with Yutaka out on a date, the bluenette was left with the house to herself.

Konata being Konata simply locked herself in her room and streamed the anime episodes that she hadn't been able to watch when they aired. She was well aware that it was piracy but she planned to buy the DVDs and merchandise of it anyway so she figured that she could afford to be a little greedy - no commercials and instant replay were why she like streaming so much.

However, after a few hours, she eventually ran out of new stuff to watch. Part of her wanted to rewatch something she had already seen but a bigger part of her wanted something else.

Thus she stood and began changing back into her casual winter clothes. If she was bored where she was then she'd go somewhere else to have a good time. She was sure that the Hiiragi twins wouldn't mind a surprise visit by their favorite otaku.

Konata couldn't help but snicker at the though as she locked her door and began walking back to the station.

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa opened the door and blinked at her guest. "Konata," she said. "Good morning."

Konata looked at her with her signature cat-smile. "I'd tease you by saying that it's not morning anymore but it technically still is," she said with a chuckled. "Good morning, Tsukasa. Surprised to see me?"

As Konata's smile turned into a grin, Tsukasa merely closed her eyes and nodded. "Maybe," she answered. "I'm still not sure if I'm still asleep."

"Ah, but you _are_. I'm dream-Konata and I've come to take you away!"

Tsukasa opened her eyes and gave her a worried look. "What? But I haven't had breakfast yet."

"It's nearly noon," the bluenette reminded

"I haven't had _lunch_ yet."

"Then have lunch and then let's get outta here."

The youngest Hiiragi thought for a bit. "Well, it's still being cooked," she muttered. "Why don't you come in while we wait." She gestured for Konata to enter.

And enter she did. "Don't mind if I do," she chimed, slipping her shoes off and setting them near the door.

"You're getting better."

Tsukasa beamed. "Thanks. I don't really get to practice much at home."

"Well, you could always try it with Kagami," Konata suggested.

"I can't. I can't think of ways to open."

"Well, that's what you have me for," Konata said, proudly puffing her chest. "Speaking of Kagami..."

At the two entered the kitchen, Tsukasa noted that Kagami was in the middle of drinking a glass of water and unexpectedly choked on it. "K-konata... Good morning," she said standing awkwardly from her seat.

Konata frowned. "I know I came unannounced but is it really _that_ surprising that I'm here right now?"

Kagami scratched her cheek and looked away, no doubt unsure as to how she'd respond that question. "Eh, no but I... well... Actually, yes. It _is_ pretty surprising that you're here right now," she said answered with apparent firmness. "Aren't you supposed to be with Patricia right now?"

Konata chuckled. "_That_? That was hours ago. Patricia's long gone by now."

"Then why didn't you come here earlier?" Kagami asked dryly.

Konata shook her head. "Oh, Kagami, don't you know me?" The pony tailed girl raised an eye brow at her playful tone. "I had a prior engagement of the utmost importance."

"Ha, knowing your priorities, it must have something to do with anime and video games."

"Well, you're not wrong," Konata said, closing her eyes and smiling innocently. She opened one eye and the grin became her signature cat smile. "The wording is a little off, though. A little tweaking is all it will take."

Kagami gave her a look of annoyed skepticism. "Do you honestly expect me to rephrase what I just said?"

"Nope," Konata replied, closing both eyes and smiling once more. "Anyway, the other excuse is a little more relatable..."

Tsukasa watched as the two interacted. Having learned and perhaps even mastered the basics of improv thanks to Konata's lesson, she saw their conversation in a new light. All the cues and little nuances in their banter were now things she could identify. That said, what she saw amazed her.

Her attempts at keeping up with Konata's wits were akin to that of two dancers moving with skill and confidence to the beat of the same song. Konata and Kagami's back and forth was more comparable to a duel between two masters of the sword. Their words were their weapons and they struck with a grace and precision that was simply awe inspiring.

"In any case, that's not the reason I came here," Konata said, bringing an end to their topic.

Kagami crossed her arms. "And what pre-tell _is_ this reason of yours?"

Without a single shred of hesitation, the blue-haired otaku answered. "Tsukasa of course!"

Upon hearing mention of her name, Tsukasa's mind went into overdrive.

"Aw, that's sweet. You wanted to be with me?"

Konata smiled. "It was the first thing that came to mind."

Tsukasa tilted her head curiously. "What was the second thing?"

The question was given an almost immediate answer. "Kagami," Konata said. "You two are my two most favorite people in the world."

"Hmm." Tsukasa thought for a bit. "How many people _do_ you know?"

Konata sweatdropped. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you said we were you favorites in the whole world," She began. "But the world is huge, isn't it? There are so many people that you couldn't know _everyone_. So then I wondered how many people you _do_ know."

"That's question's a bit..."

Tsukasa smiled. "Don't worry, you don't need to answer it. I can't think of how many people I know off the top of my head either."

"I'm sure Miyuki could."

"She probably could," she agreed. "But isn't she a little forgetful though?"

"Hmm. You're right. She is really forgetful... Though you have to admit it makes her really cute."

"Yeah, it does. You said it was one of her 'mo-eh points', right?"

"That's right, moe!" Konata exclaimed. "Her quirks, glasses, and big boobs are all moe points!"

Tsukasa looked down to her chest. "I wonder what _my_ moe points are..."

Konata grinned. "Are you sure you wanna know?"

In truth, Tsukasa really _did_ want to know, but decided against it. She evaded the question. "Maybe later. What about Kagami? What are her moe points?"

"Ah, now _that_ is quite a topic of interest."

Kagami, who had been staring in bafflement at the entire exchange, quickly stopped the conversation with the raising of her voice. "Okay, hold up. Stop. Please." She rubbed the bridge of her nose, holding up a hand in a gesture asking for a moment. "Right... I am _really_ confused. Please explain to me what just happened? Did Tsukasa just steal the mic?"

"_That_," Konata said, with a pause for dramatic effect. "Is a really good figure of speech. I might use that some time. Anyway, that is an excellent question." She turned towards the younger twin. "Tsukasa?"

Said younger twin averted her eyes in embarrassment. "I... well... wanted to do what you guys do..."

Kagami blinked. "Do what we do?"

"Your back and forth. I wanted to be part of it too..."

The older twin blinked once more. "What?"

Tsukasa whimpered, frowning at how badly she was explaining. She couldn't quite put it into words and was very thankful that Konata had figured out what it was without her needing to explain. Her sister however, needed to be told more to understand, it seemed. That was something Tsukasa was having difficulty with.

Konata quickly stepped in. "Sorry, I didn't expect you to have trouble with that," she said, giving the younger twin a reassuring smile. She then turned to the older twin.

"Now," she began. "Have you ever noticed how all of our conversations flow?"

Kagami scowled. "What do you mean?"

Konata expounded. "Have you noticed that we seem to be able to talk for hours on end, seamlessly shifting from topic to topic?"

"Now that I think about it, yeah, we kinda do that a lot," Kagami muttered. "Okay, so what about it?"

"Do you have any idea how difficult pulling off that kind of back and forth actually is?"

"Uh..."

"Of course you don't. The two of us grew up honing our wit to be as sharp as they are right now," Konata explained. "I had my teasing and jokes while you had your snark and sarcasm."

"There are several ways I can take what you just said and a number of them can lead to a painful forehead for you..."

"See, you're doing it right now."

Kagami grumbled in annoyance but didn't push it.

Konata sighed. "What I'm saying is: Tsukasa has a hard time keeping up with us. She can never manage to get a word in because we both have wits sharper than is good for us."

Kagami frowned. "That's..." She looked at Tsukasa. "Is... Is that true...?"

Tsukasa watched Kagami as her negative energy spiked. She could almost _see_ the guilt and shame radiate outward from her older sister. She was all but certain that telling the truth was the wrong move. This had to be handled carefully. Her only problem was _how_ exactly she was going to do that...

She took a deep breath and answered. "I wanted to reach you," she began. "You were always so far away. Whenever you're with Konata, it seemed like you were a world away. Even when you were by my side, it felt like you were leaving me behind." She looked at Kagami and smiled. "But I wanted to be part of that world. I wanted to be able to see what you saw and hear what you heard. I wanted to be able to keep up with you and Konata. I wanted all that..."

As Kagami's face slowly fell, betraying the pain she felt inside, Tsukasa continued, firmly and fiercely. "But I didn't want to be a burden. I didn't want to slow you down." She shook her head. "No, I wanted to match you. So I ran as fast as I could and pushed as hard as I could. I thought that if I did that, I'd be able to catch up." She looked at the bluenette standing next to her and smiled softly. "And thanks to Konata, I think I was finally able to do that..."

She turned back to Kagami. "So now, I'm at your side," She said with face of determination. "And whenever you run too far ahead, I'll be happy to know that I can still reach you again if I try hard enough."

When Tsukasa ended her impromptu speech, she couldn't help but notice the expression on Kagami's face. She was teary eyed and obviously moved, but whatever emotion she felt was too mixed for the younger twin to get a good read on her. She detected guilt and shame, yes, but it was intermingling with a sense of pride, joy and... relief?

Kagami walked over to Tsukasa and gave her a tight embrace. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Tsukasa..."

Tsukasa gently patted Kagami's head. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

She felt Konata join in the embrace. "This is the second group hug I've been a part of today," the bluenette said with a chuckle.

Tsukasa smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth.

And then a pair set of arms wrapped around them, surprising all three of those in the hug prior. "Oh, my babies have grown so mature," Miki said in a barely contained squee. "I'm so proud of you."

Kagami quickly broke free of the embrace. Her eyes were still a little teary but otherwise she already had that familiar flustered look on her face. "M-mom! When did you-"

The older woman chuckled. "I've been here the whole time, actually."

Kagami was mortified and aptly looked the part. Tsukasa and Konata were similarly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry for excluding you, mom..." Tsukasa said shyly.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I didn't mind - I was just enjoying the show," The mother responded, dismissing the issue with an offhand wave. Then she gestured towards the door and added, "I can't say the same for _them_, though..."

At the door was Inori and Matsuri, both smiling at their younger sisters - though the latter's was more so a grin than just a regular smile.

"That was certainly an emotional moment," Inori noted.

"Yeah," Matsuri said in agreement. "You got what you wanted, Tsukasa. You got to be in your own little world with your twin and Izumi."

Before the blood rushing to Tsukasa's head made her feel dizzy, she decided to sit down. Kagami and Konata seemed to share the sentiments as they too sat down.

Miki suddenly made an earsplitting whistle. "You had best stop teasing them. After all, Tsukasa just woke up and Konata just got here," she said, removing her two fingers from her mouth. "Now come on. Lunch is ready. Inori, help set the table. Matsuri, give me a hand with this."

As the three older women went about their tasks, Tsukasa sat with Kagami and Konata. Kagami had her face buried in her hands - probably from embarrassment - but at least she didn't seem upset anymore. In fact, she seemed kind of relieved - more so than earlier, even.

_Well, I guess that solves one problem I never even knew we had,_ Tsukasa thought.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Oh Tsukasa, you have no idea how wrong you are.**

**I begin this story with Kagami waking up, suddenly noticing how cold it's become. Immediately following that is Patricia leaving.  
**

**Cold it was. Now, this is literally making a plot point of the fact that I forgot to address why Patricia was leaving in the first place. It's gonna be difficult but I can work with this somehow.**

**Next up is Kagami, once again wallowing in her negative emotions. I swear, girl, you need to let all that out else it's gonna bite you back someday. Also, consider this as a warning for things to come. Kagami needs to get out of the hell hole that is her current emotional and mental state but the road out of there is gonna be really really rough. Here's hoping she can handle the bumpy ride.**

**Misao is in a bit of a similar pickle since, thanks to Kagami - and a little from Konata - she now is considerably more self aware. What will that mean for the future? The hell should I know? I have an ending planned, but not the specifics.**

**Moving on, we have Tsukasa's plight with Kagami and her perceived inequality with her sister in terms of interaction with Konata of all things. So they do just that and have a conversation with no one being left behind.**

**Of course, that was just an excuse that conveniently meshed well with what I wanted to tackle for this arc. In actuality, I just wanted to write conversations between these girls again - that is to say, the girls from this story specifically. This was the perfect way I was able to think of to do it. ****How I loved it.**

**Anyway, this chapter begins the next arc, taking place for a number of days. The winter is cold and bleak but still brings the hope for spring. And with spring comes a new beginning. Graduation is nearing and so is the end of this fic. Just three more months in-universe, guys!  
**

**Til next chapter!**


	38. Pillow Talk Morning

**Similar to the sleepover and festival prep arc, this chapter is set in the same time span as the previous one but is focused on different POVs.  
**

**Said POVs are Miyuki and Ayano. It'll be a morning filled with 'pillow talk'. Hope you're looking forward to it.**

**Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize**

**LUCKY STAR**

Sitting up in her bed, Miyuki Takara awoke hearing the ticking of the clock, with every second bringing a dull throb to her ever ringing head. She hugged herself because of the feeling. Everything hurt.

But she had to wonder why. Why was it that she was feeling that way? Why did she have a head splitting headache and feeling of utter weakness in her limbs? As simple touch of the back of her hand to her forehead and neck was all that was needed to answer her.

She had a fever. Without a thermometer, she wouldn't know the exact numbers, but she at least knew her temperature was at least over thirty eight degrees.

_Or a hundred degrees Fahrenheit,_ she added as an after thought. She chuckled weakly.

_Hopefully Mother or Honoka-san wake up soon. I'd rather not try my luck and attempt to make breakfast in this state._ She then realized that it was only 7 AM and shook her head._ Perhaps them waking up at a reasonable time is unlikely. I'll just have to wait for Minami to get back._

So she lied back down in bed, already awake, but not strong enough to get up.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Hey, heading out?"

Ayano let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in. Her sister found her before she was able to leave. And she was all dressed up in her favorite button up and jacket too.

"Yes. I'm going to Masaru and Misao's," Ayano answered reluctantly.

"Hmm. Wait a bit. I'm going to join you," Akira said, climbing up the stairs to her room - probably to change.

Ayano scowled but said nothing.

Their relationship hadn't been the most positive ones even in the best of times. They reached the lowest point she could remember at around early November of that year when Akira found out what she had done to Masaru on the last day of the school festival. They stayed in that low for a good while but things have recently started getting better. At one point, all of the guilt tripping stopped. It wasn't so much that Akira was no longer acting unpleasant around her and more like she decided she was taking things too far.

_It took her long enough,_ Ayano thought with some resentment. _She makes me feel miserable for weeks and suddenly she just stops. I'm happy she realized that what she was doing was wrong, but that still doesn't make things right_.

Still, as terrible as what her older sister was doing, she could very much understand why. Masaru had been her and Akira's friend for the longest time. Ayano had been the one to ask Masaru out and their relationship ended with her severely injuring him. Ayano was really sorry about it and had apologized countless times by now - Masaru had already forgiven her. And yet, Akira seemed more angry about it than Masaru was - and still is.

It made no sense. Why was she so angry? Why was she making Ayano feel bad on his behalf? Ayano was even pretty sure that she stopped because Masaru had told her to but that was beside the point - it still didn't answer the question. Why?

It was frustrating. So very frustrating. So much so that if Ayano didn't have the self control then she would've punched at the wall with all her might. If she did that, she'd probably punch a hole through the wood and break her hand at the same time.

She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. The topic of her sister's bullshit always angered her to no end. The very though of it seemed to easily entice spikes of rage though her brain. She had to stop thinking of it.

But she honestly couldn't. There was a reason Akira was so adamant that she figure out why she did what she had done. Whatever that reason was, she did not know. All she _did_ know was that Akira's guilt tripping and all the times Ayano spent locked in her room trying to avoid said guilt tripping had flipped a switch in her brain.

It was the question Akira had asked her over and over. Why had she hurt Masaru? What made her do it? Ayano found herself asking these questions in her mind. She could no longer control them. At first it was Akira's voice asking her - mocking her. But eventually it became her own.

What _was_ the reason? She would wonder that time and again. It had gone past the point of feeling guilty and more of feeling curious. No, not curious. Lost. She was searching for an answer. Why had she done that? Why did she hurt him like that? The clues were hidden in the way she acted, she just knew it. The pieces were too disjointed. Too scattered for her to see the bigger picture.

If Akira knew, then it must have been obvious. So why did she still not understand? She _wanted_ to understand though. She wanted to so badly that it hurt. But she just couldn't.

What did she have to do to find that catharsis she needed? That closure? The answer to her question?

She didn't know. And again, that frustrated her.

"Hey, I'm ready. Let's get going," Akira said.

Ayano nodded and opened the door. The two stepped out and began walking.

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka and Minami walked the streets, on their way to the Iwasaki estate. The taller girl's slow and steady strides were being kept up by quick and rhythmic steps of the shorter girl. Said shorter girl was already huffing despite them only being half way there.

She was tired, she realized. The cold air she inhaled felt like it was filled with tiny cold needles that pricked her nose with every breath. Her legs were starting to feel heavy, as if she were wading through water rather than thin air. Really, she was feeling tired.

"Minami," Yutaka said, looking at the mint haired girl. "Help..."

Having already encountered this problem once before, Minami knelt down and picked her up. Her hands were soft and the way she held Yutaka was gentle. It was an enjoyable experience for the red head.

"Have you been eating well recently?" Minami asked, most likely to find out why she was already tired.

"Don't worry, Minami," Yutaka said. "I've been eating alright. It's just that I had to wake up earlier than usual today."

Minami nodded in reply.

Yutaka was more than capable of walking the entire way from the station to the Iwasaki estate. The only reason she was so tired was because of their earlier activity at the airport. Not only did she have to wake up at five thirty, she also commuted to and from the airport. Her body had gotten a lot stronger over the years since she fell from that tree, but she was still quite weak.

And so she just closed her eyes and simply enjoyed being carried by Minami bridal-style.

**LUCKY STAR**

After ringing the door bell and waiting a few minutes, the Minegishi sisters were met with a bright smile. Such a warm welcome was much appreciated in such cold weather.

"G'morning you two! Come on in," Misao said cheerfully, gesturing for them to enter.

Ayano greeted back, stepping though the threshold. "Good morning, Misao. How are you?"

"Eh, doing pretty good. Still a bit sweaty from my run earlier, but that's nothing a hot bath won't fix. Speaking of which..." The brunette began climbing up the stairs. "I'm gonna take a bath. Masaru's in his room but I don't know if he's awake yet. Make yourselves at home."

With that, the two were left, still in the act of removing their shoes.

Ayano sighed and laid down her shoes next to her sister. Said sister was already climbing the stairs when Ayano looked up. "Off to wake him up?"

The dark orange haired girl turned around and said curtly, "Yes. Why do you ask?" She was looking at Ayano with a venomous glare.

The younger Minegishi was taken aback at how hostile her sister was being. It was an innocent question. Did it really warrant such a reaction?

"I was just asking," Ayano said softly, lowering her head.

Akira's face softened as she turned her back once more and kept climbing. Eventually Ayano was left alone by the door, standing in place. She clenched her fists in frustration.

"Uh, what is her problem!?" she asked in a loud whisper. She sighed. "Whatever. I don't need this right now."

Ayano followed her sister up the stairs but, instead of turning towards Masaru's room like she normally would, she turned to Misao's room which was right next door. On her way there, she even heard a snippet of conversation between Masaru and Akira.

"Oh for fuck's sake! Knock, why don't you!?"

"Don't start this with me right now, I am in no mood!"

Ayano clenched her fist once more, her hand turning pale as she gripped the doorknob to Misao's bedroom. She took another deep breath and entered the room. Once inside, she lowered her bag to the floor and let herself fall face first into the bed, briefly screaming into a pillow.

**LUCKY STAR**

Her house had strange acoustics, Miyuki thought. Her room was in the second floor but she quite clearly heard Minami's voice resound from the entrance hall. Of course, said mint haired girl's voice had always been attention grabbing when it was loud enough to actually be heard. Perhaps it was both the house's acoustics _and_ Minami's naturally noticeable voice that caused her to hear the words "I'm home" faintly echo through her room. Either way, when Minami and Yutaka entered her room, Miyuki was not surprised.

"Good morning, Minami, Yutaka," Miyuki greeted softly.

Minami quickly set her stuff down and went over to Miyuki's side. She put a hand on her forehead and neck, removing them shortly after. "You have a fever," she said unnecessarily.

Miyuki nodded. "Yes. It seems I am quite under the weather," she said, feeling a twinge of mild embarrassment. "I'm very sorry for being a bother."

"Have you had breakfast yet?"

Miyuki shook her head. "No. I was too weak to get up..."

Minami nodded and turned to Yutaka. "Please watch over Nee-san while I make breakfast." She turned to the door. "I'll be right back."

Miyuki watched as the mint haired girl left the room, the lock clicking faintly as the door swung closed. Thus, she was left to wait in her room with Yutaka.

"She won't be long but feel free to sit down while you wait," the pinkette said softly. "So how was it? How was Ms Patricia Martin's departure?"

The short girl sat down on Miyuki's bed and sighed. "It was sad," she said, lowering her head. "It felt like I was losing a friend. It seems kinda silly now that I think about it. She _is_ going back after break ends. But I _still_ feel it: the moment she disappeared into the crowd, I knew things can never be the same again."

Miyuki closed her eyes and nodded. She understood why Yutaka felt the way she did, or at least she felt like she understood.

_No,_ she thought. _I don't really understand. I have never felt that way before. I cannot empathize..._

Yutaka held Miyuki's hand, causing her to open her eyes. "But maybe you don't need to?" Yutaka said. "It's okay if you don't understand, Miyuki. No one can know exactly what another is feeling."

Miyuki chuckled. "So you say, but I don't believe I ever said anything about that," she teased. "Perhaps you are the exception."

Yutaka chuckled as well. "No I'm not," she said, shaking her head. "At best, I can make close guesses based on what I sense - most of the time, that's all I'd need. But other times, it isn't as simple..."

Miyuki tilted her head curiously. "How so?"

"Well, let's look at Minami. I can easily tell when she's feeling happy or sad. We could even talk without even needing to speak most of the time. But when the feelings get more complex, it's hard for me to get a read." She lowered her head. "Recently, I just can't tell what Minami is thinking anymore..."

"Does that bother you...?"

"I... well... I guess not, but," Yutaka sighed. "Miyuki, you never told me what you were thinking but I could tell what it was because I've felt the same way..."

Miyuki blinked. "You empathized to how I could not empathize," she said flatly. She blinked and sighed once more. "Well, I suppose it isn't really a problem. Everyone is their own person. As you said, no one can know exactly what another is feeling."

"But sometimes I wish I did..." She lied down, resting her head on Miyuki's legs. "I know it's not good, but I really wish I _did_ know exactly how people are feeling."

"Well, why do you think that's wrong? I don't think it's wrong, if you want my opinion. Everyone desires to be understood in some way or form and everyone desires to understand as well. Successful or not, this is something we cannot change. We will always try to know more." Miyuki smiled. "We are all curious."

Yutaka found herself chuckling. "Doesn't the saying go 'Curiosity killed the cat'?"

"Yes, 'but the satisfaction brought it back'," Miyuki added. "So I ask again, why do you think it's wrong?"

"I didn't say it was wrong, just that it's not good," Yutaka clarified.

They sat in silence for a good while - long enough for Miyuki to sit up and look at Yutaka's face. It was a lot like Minami's - a serene mask of nothingness covering what seemed to be a deep well of emotion.

"I'm scared," Yutaka said finally, her voice a soft whisper. "I'm scared of what I'll find out. Everyone has secrets that are better left to themselves." She closed her eyes. "I'm scared of her... I'm scared _for_ her... I'm scared... I'm..."

As Yutaka trailed off, Miyuki resisted the urge to hold the smaller girl close. What Miyuki saw was something she never saw before from Yutaka - she doubted if Minami saw it before either. What she saw was a deliberate show of weakness by the red-head who, for so long, had been trying _not_ to be weak. The fact that she showed it to Miyuki rather than Minami said more than anything.

"I don't want Minami to keep worrying about me," Yutaka said, opening her eyes and returning Miyuki's gaze. "So don't tell her..." She looked away. "Unless she asks," she then added.

Miyuki frowned. She was not good at keeping secrets. Then again...

The pinkette took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "You may need to be more specific," she said in reluctance. "What must she ask before I answer her?"

Yutaka brought her feet up onto the bed and shifted to lie on her side, her back to Miyuki. "I'll let you decide," she said.

Miyuki nodded and said nothing. She then slowly lied back down. "I'm sorry to be a burden on you, Miyuki-senpai," she heard Yutaka say a few minutes later.

She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "Don't worry about it, Yu-chan," she whispered in reply. "You're not a burden. Minami would agree on me with this..."

The seconds ticked on...

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano sat up when Misao entered, wearing nothing panties and a towel slung over her shoulder.

"You're dripping wet," Ayano noted. "You have a towel. Why didn't you use it?"

"I will, I will," Misao said, waving off her halfhearted scolding. The brunette sat down on the bed, rubbing her hair with the towel. "Anyway, it seems like you and your sister aren't doing too well recently. Wanna talk about it?"

Ayano sighed. "Was it really that obvious?"

Misao thought for a bit before letting herself fall backwards into her bed. "I don't know," she said. "I think I was just looking at the right signs to notice. Since the festival, right?"

Ayano sighed once more, joining Misao in lying down. "What signs exactly...?"

"Hmm..." Misao narrowed her eyes in concentration, rolling her towel up into a ball and repeatedly throwing it into the air, catching it, and throwing it again. It took a while before she answered. "You never seem to talk about home anymore, even to talk about your mom. Also, you seem more angry than usual."

Ayano sat up and gave Misao a questioning look. "Angry? You know what I'm like when I'm angry."

Misao kicked her legs and sat up as well. "Maybe angry isn't the right word. Maybe pissed off?" She snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that's what I meant. You seem pissed off a lot. You kinda became scarier version of Kagami whenever she isn't too upset."

Ayano blinked. "What?"

"Well, Kagami's almost always grumpy and mean right? That's what you've been defaulting to for the past few weeks. Whenever you're not talking to me or Kagami, you'd always look kinda pissed at something."

"Okay, but why do you say I'm a scarier version?"

Misao scratched her head. "Well... Because you are?" When Ayano gave her an annoyed look, she laughed nervously.

"Okay, like, you're really scary when you're angry, right? When you're pissed off, it's sorta different. When you're angry, you're scary because get really violent and beat the shit out of people."

The unsuspecting orange haired girl felt another wave of guilt hit her like a truck. Ayano made no indication of ever feeling it, though. She did her best not to let it show - and it didn't seem like Misao noticed

"But when you're pissed," Misao continued, "you're scary because you're not doing anything. You're keeping it all bottled up. What happens when someone accidentally shakes you? You explode."

Ayano frowned, displeased by the soda analogy. "You're telling me I'm a scary version of Kagami because I'm an someone's injury just waiting to happen?"

"To be honest, the chance of you getting angry is a lot scarier than you actually being angry."

Ayano sighed for the third time in as many minutes and lied back down. Letting the silence linger, Misao stood and began putting on some clothes.

After throwing on a pair of pajama pants and a loose t-shirt, she finally spoke up again. "So, what's up with you and your sister? It has something to do with Masaru, right?"

It took some time for Ayano to reply. "Misao, did you know that she really disliked the fact that you're dating another girl?" she asked.

Misao blinked. "Huh, really?"

"She eventually accepted it, but things had gotten really tense between us after that." She shook her head. "Then the school festival came and I hospitalized your brother." She fought back the urge to vomit as the memory flashed back to her - how she could feel every rib give way as her foot impacted his chest.

Misao winced. "Yeah, that's not a pleasant memory for anyone who was there."

"She never forgave me. Until just recently, she took every chance she could to remind me of what I did." Ayano pressed her hands to her face. "And what can I say? It got to me. I'm always hearing it now. Why did you do it? I'd hear that question over and over."

"Why _did_ you do it?" Misao asked curiously

Ayano sat up and sighed for the fourth time. "I don't know. But I wish I did." She frowned. "It was the final straw for Masaru, what I did. When we were together, I was very controlling. I was always threatening him. I never really went through with any of my threats, but..." She clenched her fists on her lap. "I didn't know what I was doing. I thought it was just teasing. It's what I've been doing since we got together. I didn't know how much of a toll it had on him..."

She choked back a sob. "You were right, Misao," she said shakily. "You were right all along. Our relationship was going downhill. It was down hill even as it began. And I'm the reason for it going down. I put Masaru through three years of verbal abuse. And I put the final nail in the coffin when I actually hurt him physically. I put him through all that suffering, Misao. Why did I do that? Why did I put him through that?" She buried her face in her hands, no longer able to hold it in. "Why? Why was I such a bitch? Why couldn't... Why couldn't I... Misao..."

Misao sighed and sat down next to Ayano, throwing her arms over the crying girl's shoulders and pulling her into a tight embrace.

Immediately, Ayano stiffened and tried to force back her tears. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come here and lay all my problems on you," she said. Even as she rubbed her eyes dry, they became wet soon after as the tears continued to stream

Misao hugged her even tighter. "I _want_ to hear all of it. So let it all out," she said softly. "Don't hold back for my sake. Just let it flow through you..."

Ayano's sobs soon became wails as she cried into Misao's shoulder.

"There there. I'm here. I'm listening..."

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami entered with a tray in her hands and a look of mild surprise on her face.

"I offered Yutaka a seat," Miyuki explained. "She seemed quite tired because she fell asleep soon afterward"

Minami nodded and set the tray down on Miyuki's night stand. "It's only rice porridge with some egg. Is that okay?"

Miyuki sat up scooted to the edge of her bed near the night stand. "It's fine. I'm happy to be able to eat your food, Minami. Thank you." With a clap of her hands, she picked up the spoon and began eating.

"Yutaka," Minami said quietly, looking at the sleeping girl on the bed. "She looks so sad. I wonder what she's dreaming of..."

Miyuki raised eyebrow but said nothing.

_Would you like to know, Minami? All you need do is ask._ She blew lightly on the hot food before bringing the spoon to her mouth. She closed her eyes while she chewed. _Yutaka told me to tell you. What she doesn't understand is that it can't be me who tells you..._

She continued eating.

**LUCKY STAR**

"So tell me, what have you been up to for the past few weeks?" Masaru asked with an accusatory smirk.

Akira glared at him. "Nothing. I haven't been doing anything to her anymore."

"Then why haven't you two made up yet? You've had weeks to let things cool down. How come you still have a huge wall between you?"

"Oh please, like you and Misao don't have wall between the two of you too."

"Hey," Masaru snapped, raising a finger. "That wall is there because we want it to be. And unlike with you, it has windows and a door and isn't thick enough to protect me from a nuke."

"You're being awfully poetic today," Akira noted dryly.

Masaru shrugged. "Well, what can I say? Misao recently started playing with words and the habit rubbed off on me. So get off my back about it."

"And where did Misao get _that_ habit? If it's from that Hiiragi girl, then I swear-"

"Um, no, it wasn't her. I still don't understand why you hate her so much." Akira was about to reply but Masaru cut her off. "Haha, yeah, I don't want to hear it. Anyway, it wasn't Hiiragi, it was that _other_ girl, the one Hiiragi was in love with. You know, the blue haired chick?"

"That midget?"

"Yeah. The two've been hanging out. I'm not sure if you've noticed but she's gotten a lot quicker on the draw since they became friends."

"Huh, looks like she's growing up."

Masaru laughed. "You say that likes that's a surprise." He shook his head. "Whatever. Back on topic, why haven't you made up yet? Have you even apologized?"

Silence.

He closed his eyes. "That's all the answer I need..."

**LUCKY STAR**

**Wow, this chapter is even shorter than the last one. Then again my average words per chapter is 5k so this is only slightly below average.**

**Well, this chapter has been really dialogue heavy - perhaps more so than most of my recent chapters. Lots of meandering conversations. I recently rewatched the anime _Bakemonogatari_ which can also be called "Talking: The Anime". Lots of dialogue in that show. It sorta influenced me when I wrote this chapter.  
**

**So this chapter's focus was Ayano and Miyuki, with brief sections involving Yutaka and Masaru thrown in as well.**

**Think of this as an experiment. I haven't really written scenes with only Ayano and Misao or Miyuki and Yutaka. I thought it'd be a good way to start off what I had planned with them. Hopefully it was entertaining.**

**Anyway, the morning has ended. Next chapter, I'm debating whose POVs I'd have in it. I might cut back to the Hiiragi household or perhaps keep the focus on the side characters. Or perhaps a mix of both since the two Hiiragis will be separating after lunch.  
**

**Whatever. I'll figure it out when I write it.  
**

**I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Until next time, guys. See ya.**


	39. Gloomy Noon

**Well look at this, a new chapter released two weeks after the last. This is a surprise, even to me.  
**

**As was the case in the last chapter, this one focuses, not on the Hiiragi twins, but on the Kusakabe and Minegishi siblings.  
The mid-day sun is shrouded in shadow so woe to those that don't do well with a drizzly day. It is a noon filled with gloom for all people present.**

**Enjoy if you can - and if you can't, I apologize.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki sat quietly on her bed, watching her curtains wave in the wind from her open window. Beside her on the bed was Yutaka, soundly asleep. Next to the bed was Minami, seated on a chair and reading a book, enjoying the silence.

Really, it was times like these that Miyuki treasured. Even though she felt quite sick, just being in her friend's company made her feel better - maybe not physically, but emotionally and mentally.

The pinkette felt Yutaka stir. "Good morning, Yu-chan," she said gently.

Said redhead opened her eyes and slowly sat up. "G'morning," she replied in a sleepy mumble. She drowsily looked around, seemingly unsure as to where she was.

Miyuki smiled before glancing at Minami. She was smiling as well. Miyuki nodded and lightly patted Yutaka's head. "You fell asleep while we were waiting for Minami to return with breakfast."

Yutaka's eyes slowly came into focus as became more awake. She looked at Miyuki with up-turned eyebrows. "I did?" she asked worriedly.

Miyuki chuckled. "You were only asleep for half an hour. It's still morning, don't worry," she said reassuringly.

Yutaka blinked. "Oh... okay..."

Minami leaned forward and brushed the red head's hair out of her face. "Your pig tails came undone while you were asleep. Would you like me to retie them for you?"

Yutaka shook her head. "No, I think I can do it on my own." She began searching the bed for her ribbons. "Um..." It didn't seem like they were anywhere to be seen.

"Here," Minami said, handing her the ribbons she was looking for.

Yutaka quietly took the ribbons and began tying her hair. It was slow going but she eventually managed it.

In that time Miyuki noted a silent exchange between the two. Minami's curious tilt of her head; Yutaka's slow closing of her eyes and lowering of her head; the two's careful handling of their facial expressions - there had to be something being said between them. But just as Yutaka lamented a short hour ago, some things were too complex to make accurate assumptions. Miyuki could not guess what they told each other based on mere observation.

"How are you feeling, Miyuki-senpai?" Yutaka asked.

"I'm fine. It's just a slight fever - not fatal at all," Miyuki said with a chuckle.

Minami raised an eyebrow. "Slight or not, a fever is not a laughing matter," she said. "And the fatalness of a fever is debatable"

She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh you worry too much, Minami. I'll be fine."

She then addressed both Minami and Yutaka. "I believe you two had scheduled a date today, correct?" she asked with an inquisitive tilt of her head. "I'm sure you didn't plan on spending your day here."

Minami frowned and lowered her head. "Yes, we have a date, and no, we didn't plan on spending it here," she answered quietly.

"You don't have to take care of me, Minami. You can call me a hypocrite for saying this but I don't need your help." Miyuki was given a skeptical tilt of the head. "I was much weaker earlier than I am right now. Also, Mother and Honoka-san are awake now. I'll be fine. You can spend your day with Yutaka like you wanted."

Minami looked unconvinced but nodded even still. "We'll be on our way, then. Let me get some things from my room first," she said meekly. She turned to Yutaka. "Please get ready, Yutaka." With that, Minami left the room once more.

There was silence for some time after Minami's exit. It lasted up until Yutaka spoke.

"That was mean, Miyuki," she said flatly.

Miyuki scowled and nodded. "Yes. Regrettably so." She then sighed. "But it was necessary. You know full well what today would be like if I didn't do that."

Yutaka closed her eyes and sighed as well. "I never knew Miyuki-senpai was so mean," she said in a tired yet jokingly accusing tone.

There was another pause.

"Thank you," she said shortly after.

Miyuki closed her eyes and slowly lied back down. "It was not a problem, Yutaka..."

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao reentered the room with a tray of food. Ayano had fallen asleep on her bed and had yet to wake up so the brunette took the liberty to bring her lunch. Of course, it did occur to her that the food would not be eaten unless Ayano was awake.

She looked down at the tray and sighed. "Aw man..." with that, she set the tray on her table and sat back on the bed.

"Hey," she said to Ayano. "Hey, Ayano. I have food. Do you want any?" She received no reply. "Hey, Ayano. Lunch is here. It's time for lunch." Her words garnered no response from the sleeping girl.

_Hmm, this isn't working,_ She thought. _Maybe if..._

Misao leaned in closer. "Ayano, it's time to wake up," she whispered into Ayano's ear.

The orange-haired girl slowly opened her eyes and smiled. "Well this is a surprising change," she said quietly. "When we were younger, you'd always just pull the blanket from under me to wake me up."

Misao chuckled. "Well whenever I did that, you always got really angry."

Ayano closed her eyes and pouted. "I'm not _that_ petty - at least not anymore."

"Heh, glad to know." Misao stood and gestured for Ayano to get up. "C'mon, the food's gonna get cold."

With that, Ayano sat up and scooted over to the table. "Thank you for the food," she whispered before digging into her plate of stir-fry meat and vegetables.

"So, what were you dreaming of?" Misao asked. "You looked kinda sad."

Ayano chewed and swallowed. "I did?" she asked with genuine sounding curiosity

"Hmm..." Misao thought for a bit before answering. "Yeah. Like, I've been around Kagami long enough to know when someone's down - plus I've seen you sleep before. I knew something was up." She frowned. "What _is_ up, though? Are you still bummed out about Masaru?"

Ayano stared at her for a few seconds before chuckling.

Misao's tilted her head worriedly. "What's so funny...?" Ayano only started laughing more when she asked that.

After a few seconds, the orange-haired girl calmed down enough to speak normally.

"It just... Well, you can't really recover from something like that so fast. I feel better about it now that I was able to get it out, but I _am_ still very much upset."

Misao just felt more confused by her answer "But then... why were you laughing?"

Ayano responded with a mere shake of her head and a smile.

"My dream was actually about you, believe it or not. We were on a train, just talking. Eventually you got off at your stop and we parted ways. Then I got off at _my_ stop. After that the dream ended."

Misao pouted. "That doesn't seem all that sad."

"Perhaps not," Ayano said. "It _is_ a little sad if you think hard about it, though. That person who lives farthest from the school will always be the last one to get off. Even when you have friends who take the same route, eventually your paths diverge."

Misao noted a word she did not know. "What does diverge mean?"

"I means 'to separate'. It's a synonym, I think."

Misao nodded. _Your paths will separate..._ She frowned. _Putting it like that, yeah, that IS kinda sad..._

"I wonder what it means," Ayano said, swallowing another mouthful of food.

"What what means?"

"The dream," She clarified. "I think things like dreams have some sort of meaning to the one who dreamed them. I wonder what that particular dream of mine means."

Misao watched Ayano eat for a few more minutes. Eventually she finished and thanked Misao for the meal. With that Misao took the tray and the two of them headed down stairs.

"I'm wondering too," Misao finally said as they made their descent. "Your paths will separate..."

**LUCKY STAR**

"Minami, are you scared of anything?"

At a window booth of a small family restaurant, Yutaka and Minami sat, waiting for their meal. Outside, the sky was overcast and the streets had moderate traffic. The weather was cold and the atmosphere was quiet and calm. Thus, when Yutaka asked her question, she was optimistic that Minami would be open to answering it.

Said mint-haired girl was still too surprised by the question to give a suitable reply. "I don't know," she muttered. "I guess I'm a little scared of heights."

"It's ironic since you're so tall," Yutaka said teasingly. "I guess I'm scared of heights too, now that you mention it." She leaned limply to the left. "Actually, I'm more scared of falling."

Minami looked at her anxiously. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah." Yutaka shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm sorry to worry you. It's just that I learned something a few weeks ago and I've still been trying to digest it." She looked at Minami with a determined face. "Actually, it might help if I talk about it. Would you like to know about it, Minami?"

"I," Minami hesitated. "I'll listen," she said.

Yutaka sighed and smiled.

_I'm not strong enough to tell you what I really want to talk about, Minami,_ she thought. _I can't do this on my own. I'm scared. I need your help. __But I know you can't ask me without help in return. __You're scared too. As scared as I am of knowing what you're really feeling, you're probably just as scared..._

"Well, I was with Yui-nee-san at the time," she said, beginning her story

_So we keep our feelings hidden from each other. We build walls between the two of us. We build until they're large enough that we forget why we're building in the first place.  
_

"So that's how it went. Ever since then, I got sick easily."

_We can't keep on doing this - both you and I know that. And neither of us like the way we feel right now because of what we're doing. We need to stop._

Minami nodded. "It isn't unreasonable for you to be afraid of falling because of that," she said. "I suppose I'm the same. I'm more afraid of the thought of falling from heights than being high up."

With that, the waiter arrived with their food. As the two dug in, a drop of water hit the window. Then another. Soon it became obvious that it was raining.

Yutaka chewed her food and watched the drizzle outside. _Maybe I shouldn't be thinking so negatively. It's gloomy outside so acting gloomy would make everything even _more_ gloomy._ She turned back to her meal and continued eating. _I at least have to try - I have to, in more ways than one..._

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano sat at the table near the window, feeling the heaviness brought on by the sudden pouring of rain.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The sky's been cloudy since yesterday," she muttered. "Hopefully it stops before we leave. I have a coat and umbrella but I don't want to be walking in the rain."

Misao sat up in her bed and gave Ayano a curious stare. "Don't like the rain?"

Ayano stared back at Misao, equally curious about the brunette's reason for asking. "I don't hate it. It's just a bit inconvenient," she explained. "What about you?"

"Me?" Misao frowned in concentration, leaning back onto the wall. "Hmm, I guess I don't hate it either but..." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

Ayano kept up her stare, feeling quite interested in what Misao's answer would be. _I only noticed now but Misao seems to have a better awareness for her actions now,_ she thought. _She's thinking things through_. She smiled a small smile of pride. _Interesting._

Misao opened her eyes, looking quite annoyed at herself. "Yeah, I don't really know," she said tiredly.

Ayano sweat-dropped. _Well, I suppose some things won't change. Misao will remain Misao_.

"I don't know what to feel about the rain, to be honest. I want to like it, actually. A run during a rain storm is one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done." Misao smiled and shook her head.

"But I have a lot of bad memories that involve the rain too. The first thing that comes to mind is Kagami's depression. There was that time where it was raining almost everyday for weeks. Some days she'd be fine, being her usual self, complaining about how it was raining all the time and stuff. Other days, she'd relapse. We'd sit for an hour just watching the rain. I was bored out of my mind whenever we did that. But I never had to courage to just stand up and leave. I was too scared of what might happen after I'm gone..."

She shook her head again. "That's why I don't know. I don't know how to feel about it - and I can't say I will any time soon."

Ayano couldn't think of a suitable response so she merely nodded. Then again, there was a sense of finality in the words Misao said. Ayano didn't feel like those last words needed a response in the first place.

_Misao has been surprisingly patient with Kagami,_ Ayano thought._ I can see now why you said what you said, Masaru. Kagami would have recovered at her own pace. It wouldn't do well for Misao to try and rush her._ She scowled. _Yet why did that make me so angry? Was _that_ the reason? Were your words to Misao the reason I snapped? If so, what was it about them that made me so upset...?_

_I don't know, _Ayano concluded._ Much like Misao, I don't know - and I can't say I _will_ know any time soon..._

**LUCKY STAR**

"Good afternoon, Mother, Honoka-san," Miyuki greeted.

Yukari smiled warmly. "Hello, Miyuki. How are you feeling?"

"Much better. Thank you."

The older pinkette set a tray of food on the night stand and sat on the bed next to the younger. Honoka sat on the chair next to the bed.

"How was your day so far, Mother? I trust that you are well?"

Yukari smiled and nodded. "Oh, just the usual. I slept until 10 and spent the rest of the day lounging around the house, keeping Honoka company while she worked."

"She is quite the distraction, actually," Honoka said teasingly. "It's hard to write when your source of inspiration is looking over your shoulder."

"Oh my. Mother is your source of inspiration?" Miyuki thought for a bit. "Are you writing a romance novel, Honoka-san?" She smiled. "Or perhaps a self-help book for dealing with children and childish-adults?"

Yukari pouted. "Hey! Young lady, that is no way to talk about your mother."

Honoka giggled. "But you have to admit, you _are_ a little childish," she argued. "Yes, I'm writing another romance novel - this time, it's based on my and Yukari's love life. My last book based on Tatsuya and my husband proved quite successful - much more successful than my other works. I'm starting to think that romance is more my forte than anything else."

"Ah, so you got a publishing company to license your book?"

"Oh, heavens, no. It has been far too long since I last published a book - so long, in fact, that all of my contacts have left the industry." She then smiled. "So I posted it online," she said excitedly. "Over the course of several weeks, it garnered a large audience. I get over a thousand hits a day and a lot of activity in online discussion boards. I also get a surprising amount of donations as well."

"Has public response been positive?" Miyuki asked.

"Well... No. Not exactly," Honoka said. "I get mixed reviews. It's generally agreed that the writing itself is solid, however, opinions on the characters and plot vary greatly. A good number of people condemn the book for simply acknowledging that two bisexual men can have an actual happy polyamorous relationship when they have the consent of their respective wives." She sighed. "I _do_ understand that it's quite unlikely, but it _is_ very much possible. Just look at us. Your mother, father, Shintaro, and I are perfectly happy with our lives together. It's quite upsetting that they act that way."

Miyuki thought for a bit before responding. It was a heavy topic of discussion which she did not expect to be brought up.

She spoke slowly. "I don't think it's unreasonable to say it's unlikely," she said. "It was an incredible stroke of luck that the four of you were understanding enough to do what you did. Most people aren't like that - the mere thought of one's significant other having someone else brings them rage and tears. They do not understand your point of view. I myself don't understand your point of view that well either - nor do I understand theirs." She closed her eyes. "It's really quite confusing for me, actually."

"Maybe it's just fate?" Yukari said wistfully. "The four of us coming together the way we did - it was fate. Thus, they can never hope to understand it."

"Fate," Miyuki repeated, glancing at her mother skeptically. "I _suppose_ you can look at it like that..."

"Just think about it. It _can't_ be just a coincidence that my wife's daughter's girlfriend is the daughter of my wife's ex-girlfriend."

_Ah, Yuki Izumi - rather, Yuki Kobayakawa. Yutaka's mother and Konata's aunt_, Miyuki remembered. _She and Honoka-san once dated. Now, Minami and Yutaka are the ones dating._

"Hmm." Miyuki crossed her arms, deep in thought. "It _is_ very unlikely. Interesting..."

"Oh dear. You have that look in your eyes again," Yukari said.

"Ah, yes. The eternally burning flames of curiosity," Honoka agreed. "If this bears fruit, it's certain to be wonderful."

Miyuki sweat dropped. "I suppose I _am_ curious, but still..."

"Oh don't worry. We won't push you. You _are_ sick after all," Honoka explained in an attempt to reassure her. "Now I suggest you finish your food. Its getting cold."

Miyuki blinked then turned to her lunch, still sitting on her nightstand. "Oh dear," she said, covering her mouth.

With that, Miyuki's meal continued alongside the conversation, which resumed as well.

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami stood quietly at the bus stop, Yutaka clinging to her arm. The two had been sitting there for a good while, simply watching the rain fall and enjoying each other's company. Or rather, that's what Minami wished they were doing. The atmosphere was far too awkward for that to even be possible.

Admittedly, Minami the part of the reason for that as she had opted to merely nod at Yutaka's comments and observations of people and events that caught her attention. This must have upset Yutaka greatly as she had since stopped speaking. Assuming Minami was correct, a simple apology and explanation would placate her. However, it wasn't certain if that was the case.

Ever since she left Yutaka with Miyuki, the redhead had been acting strangely. She never wore her emotions on her sleeve but Minami could usually read her well enough. Now, though, she was like a book written in English. There were parts that she could read - simple parts that almost anyone could understand like boredom or sadness - but the rest was incredibly complicated. Had she been a book written in Japanese, Minami would have been far more capable of understanding what she was seeing. But the the way things were, too many things were getting lost in translation.

_I'm most likely just overthinking this,_ Minami thought.

"I'm sorry," Minami said, voice piercing the continuous drone of raindrops hitting the pavement.

Yutaka merely looked at Minami, looking confused. "Sorry for what?"

Minami blinked. "Ah, you're not upset?"

Yutaka's expression turned from confused to worried. "Why would I be upset? Is something wrong?"

Minami shook her head. "Sorry. I was under the assumption that I had caused this awkward silence."

Yutaka blinked. "Oh."

Minami frowned. "What is it?"

"Actually, I thought it was _me_ who started it," she said shyly. "You know? Because I was saying weird stuff?"

There was silence for a time.

"Perhaps we are both at fault," Minami admitted. "I understand that you were merely stating your opinion and wanted to know my own opinion by doing so. I apologize for not realizing that."

"And I'm sorry for prying. I know you don't like being forced to speak."

"Don't worry, Yutaka. If it's you, it's fine."

Yutaka hesitated before responding. "Thank you..."

**LUCKY STAR**

There was a knock on Misao's door followed by the muffled voice of Masaru. "Oi, you two in there?"

Misao replied in annoyance. "It's unlocked, isn't it?"

The door opened and Masaru entered. "I was trying to be _polite_," he said. "Perhaps you're just not used to it?"

"With the tone you used, polite is the last word I'd think of," Misao countered. "Besides, politeness doesn't suit you."

"What a wonderful coincidence. I completely agree," he said sarcastically. "That said, get out."

"This is _my_ room, isn't it?"

"Your point?"

The two glared at each other for a few seconds.

Misao sighed. "Alright, make it quick. I'll distract Akira for you."

Masaru smirked. "If you would ever be so kind."

"You owe me one, bro," Misao said, closing the door.

"That I do, my dear sister."

Ayano simply sat there, completely confused by the exchange she just witnessed. She had always assumed Masaru and Misao weren't on good terms based on the way they treated each other - like herself and her sister. She must have been wrong...

Masaru turned to Ayano. "So, how've ya been?"

Ayano leaned limply to the left. "Oh, I guess I'm okay," she said. "I supposed everything's been normal for the past few weeks."

"Hmm." Masaru looked at her skeptically. "Your sister stopped pestering you about that day during the festival yet?"

"So that _was_ you." Ayano scowled. "Yes. A few weeks ago, she stopped. It was a bit too late though. I think it's safe to say that the damage has been done."

Ayano looked down. She didn't want to see Masaru's reaction to what she just said. And yet, she found herself struggling to keep her eyes away.

"Is that so...?" He sighed. "Well, I tried..."

There was a silence for a time. Ayano felt the guilt once again rise up - like a rising sea that would soon drown her. So she spoke. She spoke while she could still breathe.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for everything you've done for me." She shook her head. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through. I-"

"You're welcome," Masaru said, cutting her off. "And again, it's fine. I knew what I was getting myself into when we started dating."

"W-what?"

"I expected what would happen and you delivered. Granted, it would have been a bit _less_ of a pain if you _didn't_ deliver, but I knew what was going to happen. I was ready for it."

"I don't-"

"You wanna know the reason you got so angry at me that day?"

Ayano couldn't think of a response. His voice was clear when he asked that question - as if it weren't pouring outside. He knew. He knew the reason.

"It's actually pretty simple, when you think about it."

"Why...? Why did I do it...? Please tell me," she said, somehow feeling quite desperate.

"I will, I will," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "But first, answer me this..."

Ayano leaned forward on her seat on the bed. He opened his mouth and asked his question, with Ayano hanging on every word.

"Do you even really love me?"

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao leaned on Masaru's door frame and greeted the older Minegishi sister. "Heya, Minegishi."

"Oh, Misao," Akira said, sitting up from her prior hunched position at the table. "I take it that Masaru's having a little talk with Ayano?"

Misao blinked. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Because he told me," she replied tiredly. "You don't have to distract me. I have no intention of interfering." She looked away. "Besides," she muttered. "I promised not to..."

Misao tilted her head curiously. "Have you... have you been crying?"

Akira smiled sadly. "You could say my discussion with your brother got a little heated," she said with a pained chuckle. "He upset me, I upset him, but in the end I was the one at fault."

Misao frowned. "At fault?"

She shook her head. "You'll find out soon enough."

"This is about _that time_, isn't it?" Misao asked, feeling somewhat upset. "You haven't apologized to Ayano yet."

Akira responded with a simple "soon." She closed her eyes and lowered her head. "All in due time..."

"The due time is _now_." Misao muttered. "But you _did_ promise..."

The brunette took a step back into the hallway and stared at the door to her own room. "You'll apologize once they come out of there, I'm guessing," she said

Akira's answer was a short and simple "yes."

**LUCKY STAR**

**So, how was that chapter? I for one think it did pretty well. Perhaps not perfectly well - there are parts that I am not at all happy with - but it's good enough to release to the public.**

**This was another chapter in which the Hiiragi twins and their respective storylines take a back seat in favor of the other members of our ensemble cast.**

**Miyuki's section is perhaps the most fun I've had writing a scene involving one the adults - a close second is that time Miki and Tsukasa have a little talk about Kagami's depression. Anyway, in this part, I told you that Honoka is a writer. I feel so bad because I've wrote a small detail several chapters ago that Honoka had work but never outright stated what work that was. Only now did I finally remember to put that in. In any case, it was a nice spring board to talk about something I touched upon in an earlier chapter but never elaborated on. Expect Honoka to talk about her writing more often beginning this chapter.**

**Next is Yutaka and Minami. If you feel like this ship has gotten a little dull, you're not the only one. It was partially deliberate that I made their problems not quite as interesting as the others'. But that was before. Now, we're finally seeing some progress between these two. It's been slow going, but those two will see some angst and drama in the near future. I just hope I'll be able to deliver.**

**Finally getting to the biggest part of this chapter, imo: Ayano's sections. She has been going through a _lot_ of shit. Granted, part of that shit is her own damn fault - control you temper, girl! But she honestly didn't deserve _that_ much punishment. That said, the light at the end of the tunnel is closing. I've been foreshadowing this as early as chapter 6. Here's hoping that it doesn't catch you off guard.**

**And to end it all off, Misao interactions. I reiterate: they are - and I am putting as _much_ emphasis as I can, here - really really _really_ enjoyable to write. I have to ask myself "why - _why_ \- didn't you do this more often?" I have no answer to that question, honestly.  
**

**Anyway, this has been a particularly long end note. I apologize for that. It's just that I have a lot to say about this chapter.  
As for the next chapter, I _also_ have to apologize: It will probably take a long time to release. There _is_ a chance I might be able to finish it in two weeks again but... No promises.  
Until next chapter then, guys. See you.  
**


	40. Bittersweet Afternoon

**So, a lot of things have been happening in my life recently, along with a case of writer's block (I've been trying to write a new chapter for 6 different stories and only this past week have I gotten progress on them.)  
**

**Anyway, in conclusion to this mini-arc of sorts I give you a bittersweet afternoon. Enjoy if you can, and if you can't, I'm sorry**

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano wasn't sure what to think. The question that came was not expected at all and yet she had a feeling that it should have been easy to answer anyway.

But it wasn't...

"Did you even really love me?" Masaru had asked her.

Something about that question seemed to make her sick to her stomach - like she had sipped a bit of doubt and it was enough to burn a hole through her body. Did she really love him? Her answer would have been 'yes' - it _should_ have been 'yes'. But, instead, she merely stared in shock. She couldn't, in good conscience, say that without being completely sure. Really, the only thing that she was absolutely certain of was that her answer was _not_ a simple 'yes'.

She looked down, afraid of meeting Masaru's impassive stare. "I don't know..."

"Well," he sighed. "I don't blame you." Masaru pulled up a chair and sat, resting his arms and chin on the back rest. "Would you believe that you didn't have feelings for me when you first asked me out?"

Something clicked inside Ayano when he said that. The fragments of memories of a day three years ago came rushing back. She had gotten into a fight with Misao that day that somehow ended with herself crying. The very next things she remembered was asking Masaru out and Misao patting her on the back with a proud smile.

"Yes," Ayano answered quietly. "I would believe that, strangely enough..."

There was a pause before Masaru spoke again. "Ever since then, you've been growing farther and farther apart, haven't you?"

Another moment passed before Ayano nodded. She closed her eyes. "And it all ended when Misao reached her stop..."

"Do you remember now?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. But I can piece it together well enough." She looked at Masaru with a teary eyed smile. "The day I asked you out was the day Misao told me she loved Kagami..."

"So do you know why you got so angry that day during the festival now?"

Ayano laughed wryly. Of course she knew. It was such a stupid reason too. How can that be the reason she brutally injured her own boyfriend? It was absurd. So so absurd.

"I'm sorry..." Her laughs slowly transitioned into sobs. "I'm so sorry. I was so damn stupid. I'm sorry."

Masaru gave another exasperated sigh. "For the last time, no more apologizing. I've forgiven you." He smiled sadly and patted her head. "And I think it's time you forgave yourself."

Ayano wiped away her tears and looked at him. Masaru looked back with a half smile, his own fang sticking out slightly. With that expression, he looked so much like Misao. If Ayano squinted, she could almost imagine it. But she _didn't_ imagine it. Masaru and Misao were different people and neither could replace the other. It took Ayano three years to realize this.

"I don't think I _can_ forgive myself," she said. "But I'll try..."

There was a pause before Masaru spoke once more. "Did you even really love me?" He repeated.

Ayano smiled. "I did," she answered. "But by then, it was too late..."

Masaru laughed. "Too bad for you," he said, smirking. "Maybe next time then?"

Ayano nodded. "I... I'd like that... Thank you, Masaru."

Masaru shrugged. "Hey, somebody had to do it. You were getting almost as fucked up as that Hiiragi girl. None of us want that."

Ayano chuckled. "Kagami is a bit of a mess, yes." She sighed again. "Still, it means a lot to me, Masaru. It means so much. So again, thank you."

There was silence for a time. In that time, Ayano simply sat and enjoyed the company. She felt at peace.

"Masaru, I have a favor to ask you..."

"Eh, let's hear it. I might not do it, but I'm willing to listen."

"A kiss," Ayano said simply.

Masaru laughed. "And to think our first kiss would be when we've already broken up." He smirked and leaned forward. Ayano leaned forward as well.

It was soft and warm - not passionate, but had enough feeling to move both of them deeply. They shared a kiss for all but a moment and then pulled away.

Ayano touched her lips before smiling. "Wow," she said with barely a whisper.

"You owe me now," Masaru said quietly. "And some time soon, I might cash it in." With that, he moved to leave the room.

Ayano smiled to herself. "I hope you do..."

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami sat at the edge of the pond in her backyard. The water was calm. Had it been warmer, her goldfish would have been swimming in it. Alas, it was far too cold. So cold that Kagami was shivering as she sat there. But it was quiet and it was fairly hard to find some place in the house that was quiet when the entire family along with Konata was around. Thus she sat there in the cold, looking at the reflections in the water.

"The sky looks pretty gloomy," she muttered to herself. She looked up and what she saw only confirmed what she saw in the water's reflection. "Then again, it's been like that since last week. I guess I'm still not used to it being so cloudy all the time00. I almost wish it would rain so I could see the sun again..."

Kagami heard someone call her name. it was coming from inside the house. _Konata?_ She stood and turned towards the door. As expected, it was opened by none other than Konata.

Konata walked up the her. "Yo, Kagami," she said waving lazily. "Me and Tsukasa are going out in a bit. Wanna come with?"

Kagami raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me if I want to be the third-wheel on your date? What do you expect my answer to be?"

"Hey, it isn't a date," Konata said. She smiled slyly. "But it will be if you don't come with us."

Kagami chuckled dryly. "That sounded vaguely like a threat," she noted.

Konata tilted her head. "Maybe it is?"

"Oh? What are you going to do? Give her a kiss behind my back?" Kagami flicked the bluenette's forehead. "You two are in a loving relationship. How can the idea of you two going out on a date be a threat to me in any way?"

"Hey, had to try." Konata gave Kagami a genuine smile. "But seriously, Tsukasa wants to hang out with you. It's been a long time since we last hung out with just us."

Kagami thought for a bit. _What does 'us', mean? Does she mean 'just the three of us' or..._ Kagami twitched in annoyance with herself. _I'm not gonna get anywhere guessing. I might as well ask._ "Will Miyuki be going?"

"Tsukasa's calling her right now."

_Well, that answers my question._ Kagami sighed and smiled. "Let me think about it..."

Konata nodded. "Well, don't think too long. You're gonna catch a cold if you stay out here for long." With that, went back into the house. Kagami watched the door close in silence.

Something inside Kagami longed to join. She hadn't really been able to hang out that often. Exams had been looming over her for the better part of two months. The finals for the second trimester and the college entrance tests were all things she had been stressing about since the school festival ended. Added to that was the fact that she had sunk into deeper and deeper into depression in that span of time. So much was going on recently that she always had a hard time having fun. She needed some sort of release. Like the karaoke-concert thing Konata did a few weeks ago. She felt really good that day. She was just hanging out with her friends and having a good time. It was great. She wanted more of that.

And yet, why was she so reluctant? Why was it so hard to let herself feel happy? Her guilt at the very idea of happiness was dragging her down but why couldn't she let go of it? She _wanted_ to let go. She wanted to be happy. _Everyone around her_ wanted her to be happy. Why?

"No one is stopping you," Kagami muttered weakly. "It's right there. All you need to do is reach out and take it..."

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa sighed as she put down her phone. She had hoped that Miyuki was free. Unfortunately, as Miyuki's mother told Tsukasa, Miyuki was far too sick to go out. That basically shattered Tsukasa's hopes. Miyuki was in fact, _not_ free.

"Though, in way, she _is _free," Tsukasa supposed. But she guessed it was a bit of a double edged sword. Miyuki was free from responsibilities due to feeling under the weather but was confined to her bed, also due to feeling under the weather. "A freedom that is not free," Tsukasa muttered to herself in conclusion.

Konata walked up to her looking curious. "That sounds like something deep." She smiled. "Having a little existential crisis, are we?"

Tsukasa blinked and asked with completely straight face, "what is an existential crisis?" Konata merely stared back, unable to respond. Tsukasa looked at her worriedly. "What did I say?"

Konata looked away, scratching the back of head. "Um... nothing. I just don't know how to explain what an existential crisis is to you..."

Tsuksa smiled. "Oh, that's okay. I'll just ask Miyuki later." Then she remembered, "oh, that's right. Miyuki won't be able to go."

Konata frowned. "Why's that?"

"Miyuki's sick."

Konata smiled. "Well then we have the first place we're going to visit today."

Tsukasa tilted her head in confusion. "Eh?"

"I didn't really have a plan. I just wanted to get out and do something with you guys. This is perfect since we won't need to go somewhere that costs money!"

Tsukasa blinked. _Oh. I remember now. Konata's money troubles haven't completely gone away yet_. She smiled. _What was the saying? Killing two birds with one stone?_

Then she remembered something. "Is Kagami going?"

Konata paused for a bit before looking down. "I don't know. It doesn't look like Kagami knows either. She looked really unsure for some reason..."

Tsukasa nodded quietly. _I wonder what's wrong,_ she thought worriedly. _I hope she's okay..._

"I'm going to go get ready," Tsukasa declared, walking over to her closet. "Let's leave in, say... thirty minutes?"

"Gotcha," Konata said, giving a short salute. "I'll go tell Kagami and your Mom."

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami put on her jacket and shoes. "Hey, Konata, Tsukasa, I'm ready!"

The couple ran down the stairs. "I'm sorry, I lost track of time while choosing what to wear," Tsukasa said frantically. "Time well spent, if you ask me," Konata added cheekily.

"That's cute," Kagami said. She pulled out an umbrella from behind their shoe rack "Though I suggest you take this," she said. "It looks like its gonna rain and I'd rather not get caught in it without an umbrella."

Konata grinned. "As expected of Kagami-sama. She has everything planned out even though it took her some time to decide whether to go in the first place."

"Yeah, yeah," Kagami said tiredly. "Whatever. We're going to Miyuki's aren't we? C'mon, the next train should arrive within fifteen minutes. We should be at the station before then and the walk isn't exactly short."

Konata gave a small salute and Tsukasa nodded. They left shortly after.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Wait," Misao said. "If you were in love with me all along, why did you go for Masaru?"

"Because I knew you had your sights set on someone else," Ayano answered. "I wanted you to be happy with Kagami."

"But I _would_ be happy if you asked me out back then." Misao insisted. "You know how I am with that 'someone else' bullshit. I woud've totally fallen in love with you."

Ayano smiled softly. "Yes, I am aware. Had I realized that earlier, it might have saved me a lot of heartache." She sighed. "Hindsight is 20:20."

"So, how do you feel right now?"

"Better," Ayano said. "And now, I can honestly say I don't have regrets in dating Masaru." She shook her head. "If I do have one regret, it'd still be that day-"

"Let's not go there," Misao interjected. "Anyway, I'm glad you finally got some closure. Was it really that easy?"

"No. It was incredibly painful. I cried from how much it hurt," Ayano said bluntly. "But it was over quickly so I guess it could have been worse."

Misao laughed. "That's a great way to think of it." She patted Ayano on the back. "So you two are cool now?"

Ayano chuckled. "Yeah, we're cool."

Misao grinned. "Well, that's one down. Next on the list is your sister." Misao stood and grabbed Ayano's arm. "C'mon," she said.

"Wait, where-" She wasn't able to complete that sentence before she was suddenly jolted forward and out the door.

This was not the first time Misao took hold of Ayano and dragged her somewhere. That said, it didn't happen often and Ayano was still not quite used to it. Thus, she was very surprised by she was completely overwhelmed by Misao strength.

Out in the hall, Misao knocked on her brother's bedroom door and called. "Oi, Masaru, you in there?"

The door opened, but it wasn't Masaru. "Time to make good on my promise, Misao Kusakabe," Akira said. She was the only one in there.

Misao grinned. "Well, that makes things easier." She then pushed Ayano into the room and closed the door. "Now make up!"

**LUCKY STAR**

_This house has strange acoustics,_ Miyuki once again thought.

She had heard Konata, Kagami, and Tsukasa arrive some moments before she heard a knock on her door. Thus, she was not surprised when she opened her eyes and saw her friends enter her room.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Miyuki greeted.

Tsukasa returned Miyuki's greeting. "Hello, Yuki-chan. I'm glad you're alright."

Kagami smiled apologetically. "Sorry for visiting unannounced. I hope we aren't bothering you." she said. "You look sleepy. Did we wake you?"

Miyuki chuckled. She had awoken mere minutes before her friends' arrival. Had they came just a bit sooner, perhaps they _would_ have woken her up but, as it stood, they came at just the right time. Miyuki decided not to share this happy coincidence, though. Perhaps in the future?

"I was resting, yes, but I was very much awake," Miyuki said. "Don't worry. I feel much better now. It's all just the change in weather."

Kagami nodded. "I hear you, Miyuki. The weather's been getting colder and colder as the weeks passed. That's understandable, though - it _is_ December, after all." She frowned. "But today, though. the temperature just dropped like a rock. I'm surprised it's even rain we're having right now instead of hail."

Miyuki blinked in confusion. _Rain?_ She closed her eyes and listened.

Like someone would become aware of their own breathing, Miyuki began hearing the continuous drone of rain drops hitting the roof. The light rain must have started while she was asleep. How did she not notice when she woke up, though?

"Ah, how was the commute here?" Miyuki asked worriedly. "Did the rain give you any trouble?"

Kagami thought for a bit before shrugging. "Not really. I brought my umbrella and Tsukasa brought hers so none of us really got wet."

"It was freakin cold, though." Konata said, shivering dramatically. "I'm glad I had Tsukasa here to keep me warm."

Kagami gave Konata an annoyed sideways glance. "You say that and yet you were the only one between the three of us who didn't seem to mind the cold at all."

"I'll have you know that I was freezing out there," Konata replied in a tone implying that, really, she wasn't freezing at all.

"Sis it right, though," Tsukasa said in agreement. "It was more like it was you keeping me warm than the other way around."

Konata opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. After a short pause, she looked down. "Thank you," she said quietly

Kagami looked at Konata curiously. "Are you... are you blushing...? Oh my gosh, you are!"

"N-no, I'm not!" Konata turned away.

"Yes, you are! You're so flustered! Oh man, this made my day." Kagami laughed and turned to her sister. "Tsukasa, you are amazing."

Tsukasa blinked and stared wide-eyed at Kagami. Konata turned around and was similarly staring. Kagami stared back in confusion. Miyuki looked at all three of them with increasing interest.

Kagami frowned. "What is it...?"

In a matter of seconds Tsukasa and Konata's expressions turned from surprise to joy. They quickly pulled Kagami into a tight group hug. Miyuki watched with a warm smile on her face.

Kagami squirmed in their hold. "Ow, hey! What's going on? Why are you all so emotional right now?"

Miyuki chuckled. _When was the last time you laughed, Kagami?_ She lowered her head in quiet happiness. _You may not know it, but that was music to our ears - something we wanted to hear again for a while now. The only way to make this any better would be if Misao-san was here._ She chuckled once more. _I can only imagine how happy she'd be if she heard Kagami laugh as well._

**LUCKY STAR**

"So," Ayano said awkwardly.

"So," Akira repeated.

The two stood, facing each other but not meeting each other's eyes. And so, they stayed that way, not speaking for many minutes. Eventually, they both willed themselves to look and what they saw surprised them.

Ayano looked angry. She _felt_ angry. She was downright furious. And Akira? She looked _sorry_. She looked like she wanted to apologize. She had the audacity to look like that after everything she did? What, did she think Ayano would just forgive her just like that? No! Ayano could tell what Misao's intentions were - and they were good intentions, no doubt - but simply locking her in a room with her sister would not solve anything.

"I've been really difficult, haven't I?"

"Difficult," Ayano repeated bitterly. "You have been a whole lot more than _difficult_. Don't you dare sugar coat this. You know exactly what you've done."

"I... I've been a bitch, okay?"

"Yes. Yes you have. All year now you've been that way! Tormenting me for months! Making me feel like absolute garbage for what I've done! Outright ignoring me for months before!" She stomped her foot with every example, her voice growing louder and loader. "But I always knew you were watching me. I could feel your disapproval every time I left the house."

"You always knew I had a thing with Misao, didn't you? You don't like that. You think it's stupid and wrong. Well it's not! It never was! And then when you found out Misao and Kagami were together, you started hating on them as well! Not just me, but my friends! Why!?"

"And...and...!" Ayano's voice died in her mouth. She was so angry she could speak anymore. Whatever thoughts she wanted to put into words were being burned by her rage before she could form a sentence. So she screamed. Until she was out of breath, she screamed. All the hate and pain and anger - she took it all and let it all out in an explosive yell that left her kneeling on the floor, sobbing quietly.

"I'm sorry," Akira said quietly. "I never knew. I've always been a terrible sister, and whenever I try to be a part of your life, I always screw up somehow."

She knelt down in front of Ayano. Ayano saw Akira try and put her hand on Ayano's shoulder but she stopped at the last second. Her hand hovering mere inches from the shoulder, she slowly pulled away and looked down.

"I guess pride is an issue," Akira said. "I've been wrong this whole time but not once did I ever try to fix it... except maybe now, and even then, I get the feeling that I'm going about it the wrong way."

"You're not forgiven," Ayano said, in an icy whisper. "And I don't think you ever will be..."

Akira sighed. "So be it..."

With that, she stood up and exited the room, leaving Ayano sit there in silence.

After a moment, Misao entered, a deep frown on her face. "That did not go the way I wanted it to," she muttered. She shook her head. "Well, what happened had happened. It can't be helped."

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki, feeling significantly better than she did in the morning, suggested that they move to the living room where there were more seats and less noise from the rain. A few minutes later, they were all seated, talking quietly among themselves. Eventually, both Tsukasa and Konata fell asleep.

Kagami sipped her tea and smiled. "Well, looks like those two aren't getting up any time soon," she said, looking at the two girls sharing the long couch.

Across the table, Miyuki smiled back, though she had to force herself. She wasn't the only one forcing a smile, though. Miyuki lowered her head and sighed. "Kagami, you can relax now. You don't need to act happy for my sake."

Kagami kept smiling, though it looked significantly less happy. It as a sad smile - sad, but very much a genuine one. "I'm tired, Miyuki. I'm tired of being so down all the time. I don't want to be that way anymore. I wanna happy." She closed her eyes. "I'm not doing it for your sake. I'm doing it for mine..."

"I see." Miyuki closed her eyes as well. "Then what was that earlier? Was that laugh truly genuine?"

Kagami chuckled. "Believe it or not, it was." She shook her head. "It hurt, Miyuki. It hurt but it felt so good. It felt like a part of me was finally letting go. It felt like my regrets were slowly fading away."

"Regrets like what?"

"Well... Konata and Tsukasa" Kagami said softly. "We're still friends. I never lost them. Tsukasa doesn't need me to take care of her anymore and yet she still has me around. Konata's probably gotten over her crush on me and yet she still teases me like always. I'm not needed, and yet I'm still wanted." Kagami shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it..." Thus, Kagami fell silent.

"Hmm." Miyuki nodded slowly. Whether or not Kagami knew how to explain it, Miyuki understood. She understood, but she wished she didn't. And so, Miyuki didn't make any comment. Instead, she took a sip of her tea, letting the silence linger for a while longer.

"I'm happy for you," Miyuki finally said. "And I believe you can be happy for yourself, Kagami. Just keep persevering and you'll be able to laugh without it hurting you."

"I hope so, Miyuki," Kagami said quietly in agreement. "I hope so..."

**LUCKY STAR**

**Well, that was a chapter.  
**

**Things happened, and I made one of the reveals I've been foreshadowing for several chapters now. I'm sure it was just as much of a disappointment to all of you as it was for me. Really, I built it up so much in my head and suddenly it just ends. What I _was_ proud of was Akira's redemption as a character - or should I say, lack thereof. Yeah, _sorry_ doesn't make excusable things like months of constant mental abuse on someone.**

**As for Kagami, well she's well on her way to recovery. That said, keep in mind how hard it will be for her. She _will_ still be in pain for much of the rest of this fic. Also remember that I take great care in how I word her dialogue.**

**Then there's Miyuki, well she's always just been _there_, I noticed. She's been interfering now and again in the lives of the other main characters but she mostly just sits and watches. I don't plan to change that, mind you, but I think its a good idea to start bringing more focus to her in future chapters.**

**Finally, Yutaka and Minami, who made no appearances. Something's planned, don't worry.**

**The next chapter will probably take a long time. Who knows, maybe it won't, but don't get your hopes up for a new chapter within a week or something. Either way, thank you for reading. Til next chapter, guys. See ya.**


	41. Discussions at the Dinner Table

**So here is this chapter. A bit short to be honest - only 4k words without the author's notes, but I had to cut it short because some parts felt out of place. Not to worry, the parts I cut will be in the next chapter.  
**

**And back on the topic of chapter 41, discussions of the events of the day will be held at the dinner table, though dinner and table might not always mean the same thing in every situation.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami sat at the dinner table, already finished with her meal. The rest of the Hiiragi family were still eating while Matsuri told the story of her date earlier.

As Kagami listened, she was keenly aware of how much her older sister had changed in the past month, all due to her new boyfriend. There was a certain purposefulness to her actions now. She was still slacking off on her studies every now and again, but no longer did she seem like she didn't know what she was doing.

At least that was what it looked like to Kagami, though she never was good a reading Matsuri to begin with. She always preferred to pay her older sister no mind. Only in the past year were they starting to form a closer relationship with each other. Kagami's only problem was that they were almost always talking about romance.

All Matsuri seemed ever talked about those days was her boyfriend. Kagami didn't really mind since she knew how it felt to be in love. Her only problem was that she had never even met the guy. If Kagami remembered correctly, he had actually had dinner with them on multiple occasions, but they all happened to be on days where Kagami was relapsing - she had locked herself in her room, refusing to eat. Thus, through mere coincidence, they've never met at all.

Of course, after that same situation repeated a number of times, Matsuri started getting upset. She argued that Kagami was just avoiding him since, to quote Kagami, "I like to keep the number of men in my life to a minimum." Inori, Tsukasa, and really the rest of the family would argue against that and Matsuri would be forced to retract her statements. Kagami doubted if Matsuri really _did_ change her mind, though.

"And that's when the entire printer just decided to start spewing ink all over the place. The whole place was a mess and it smelled terrible. The two of us just watched uncomfortably for a couple minutes and then left. It was _so awkward_." With that, Matsuri finished her story. Kagami was only vaguely aware of what she was talking about but it looked like the rest of the family found it quite amusing.

"How about you two?" Kagami blinked and looked up from her empty plate to find her mother looking at her and her sister expectantly.

"How was your day?" Miki asked. "I take it you had fun?"

Tsukasa took the lead and answered. "Me and sis and Konata went to Miyuki's house earlier," she began. "Turns out Miyuki wasn't as sick as we first thought."

As Tsukasa told them the events that transpired that day, Kagami could only smile at how much her younger sister had grown. She had grown more confident, more independent - over all, more like a role model someone could look up to. There was a certain kind of jealousy it brought with it, though jealousy might not be the right word. Tsukasa had what Kagami didn't - a sense of self-esteem. It was what Kagami used to have but ended up loosing. She didn't resent Tsukasa for her confidence - she was actually quite proud of her. What she felt was more akin to longing - a wish to have what she did not. So no, the feeling was not of jealousy, but of envy - and oh how envious she felt.

So she worked. She worked and worked, all in the efforts of finding that which she lost. She had already taken the first step - she had taken multiple steps, now that she thought about it. She just had to keep moving. Eventually, she'd find her way.

_We're all changing,_ Kagami suddenly realized. _We're not the same person we were a year ago. I wonder what past me would say to me right now?_ She smiled. _I can only imagine the tongue lashing I'd get from myself for falling so far.  
_

Eventually, Tsukasa passed the mic to Kagami and she took over, continuing on from where the younger twin left off. Dinner continued on like that, with Kagami still sitting with a cleaned plate. She could have easily just excused herself because she was done. But she didn't. She didn't want to.

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao and Masaru sat in the living room, enjoying their pizza as they watched TV. There was a certain feeling of wrongness to the situation that Misao couldn't explain and yet it felt oddly satisfying to just sit on the couch with her brother while eating. The show they were watching was some cliche rom-com that somehow completely engaged the both of them. It was fun and lighthearted, which might served to explain why they enjoyed it so much. Considering how most of their day went, it isn't surprising that dinner alone without any drama was something they genuinely liked.

"Hey, Masaru, were you ever really in love with Ayano?" Misao asked curiously.

"I spent three years putting up with her bullshit. What do you think?"

Misao couldn't help but laugh. He loved her to death. He loved her the same way Misao loved Kagami. "You and I aren't all that different," she said in quiet realization. "For some reason that makes me really happy."

"Doesn't make _me_ happy though," Masaru muttered dryly. "It makes me feel like we're cursed or something. We have no chance at a happy love-life because we always end up with terrible people."

Misao frowned. "Hey, Kagami and Ayano aren't terrible people. They're just going through a lot."

Masaru twitched but made no comment on his sister's argument. "What made you ask about that anyway?"

"Hmm..." Misao thought for a bit. "I don't know," she answered bluntly. "Does it really matter?"

Masaru looked at her in annoyance before returning his attention to the TV. "I guess it doesn't," he answered reluctantly.

And so their night continued.

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka Kobayakawa sat at the kitchen table, enjoying the company of her dear older cousin. Konata sat across from Yutaka, writing something with a pronounced frown of her face. She looked focused and in pain at the same time. It was a bit amusing for Yutaka to see Konata struggle so much.

"Alright. I'm done," Konata said, putting her pen down. "That was a lot harder than I expected it to be."

Yutaka smiled and leaned over the table. She was, in fact, not done at all. "Onee-chan, you need to finish this, don't you? I think you should keep going. You're only a third away there."

Konata groaned, resting her head on the table. "But it's soooo boooriiiing..."

Yutaka gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "C'mon, Konata. You can do this."

Konata grumbled but resumed answering. Yutaka could only giggle.

It was December 23rd, a few minutes before midnight. Konata, due to a sudden out-of-character urge, decided to do all of her vacation homework that night. It resulted in quite a few hours of complaints and excuses, to which Yutaka was a witness of. Still, it was quite a sight, watching the bluenette actually put effort in her studies. Multiple days worth of homework was finished in just a short while.

"So, continue your story," Konata said. "If you don't keep talking, I'll end up falling asleep with this."

"Hmm. Where was I?" Yutaka pouted, thinking. "Ah, right. So then Minami smiled and gave the waiter a tip. He was blushing so much, it was so cute."

Konata turned a page and continued writing, whispering wistfully. "Ah. When the stoic displays emotion, it is always something to behold. The faint of heart will be swept away." Konata grinned. "What did Minami say?"

Yutaka shook her head. "She didn't notice. When I pointed it out to her, she just stared at me for a bit before looking away."

Konata winced. "Well, that sounds awkward."

"It was..."

"Sounds like you two are having a bit of a rough patch in your relationship."

Yutaka could only nod. Konata was right. They _were_ having a bit of trouble. The problem was that neither of them seemed to be able to talk about it. What were they even doing anymore? Ever since the death threats several weeks ago, they've been out of sync. Even when said death threats stopped, they haven't been able to get back on the same wave length.

"If you want any help, I'm here," Konata said helpfully. "I might not make that much of a difference, though. Kuudere aren't really my forte - I'm better with tsundere."

"It's okay. This is our problem so we really shouldn't bring others into it."

"I know, I know." Konata said, waving at her dismissively. "Just putting the offer out there. It's up to you if you want to take it."

Yutaka pursed her lips. "Thank you," she said a moment later.

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki sat at her bed, the lamp on her nightstand lighting the book in her hands that she was reading. It was a light novel that Kagami had recommended - a particularly cynical one as Miyuki noted. Very meta in the way it seemed to deconstruct various romantic comedy tropes and yet completely embrace them in a weird kind of parody. It was decidedly depressing and Miyuki was not surprised in the slightest.

Miyuki sighed and closed the book, having just finished. "My youth romantic comedy is wrong, as expected. I suppose I can relate, though that would mean saying I have romance in my life at all - which I don't." She set the book on her nightstand and looked down thoughtfully. "Perhaps I _do_ have romance, though? I have no romance of my own but I am both directly and indirectly involved in three separate romances between my friends. That in itself gives my love life as certain sense of wrongness." She giggled. "I can't say I expected it though."

Miyuki then looked to the clock on her wall. 12:00 it said, remarkably on the dot. Miyuki frowned.

"I'm not yet sleepy," she muttered regrettably. With a tired sigh, she got up and walked over to her window. "I wish I didn't get sick today. That hour long nap earlier interfered with my sleep schedule."

She opened the windows, wind flowing inside in a torrent of cold. Her night gown did little in terms of insulation and she was soon shivering. And yet, she kept it open. The night was beautiful. Her neighborhood was completely quiet, and the rain clouds of earlier that day were nowhere to be seen.

"It's a full moon tonight," Miyuki noted, looking up. "It's really quite lovely tonight," she whispered wistfully.

A few minutes of watching the moon, Miyuki was sniffing once more. Silently scolding herself for acting so rash, she closed the windows. As she did so, she noticed a light from the house on the other side of the street.

"That's from Minami's room," Miyuki said curiously. She clicked open her own lights and waved through the window. Sure enough, the shadow of Minami waved back.

Miyuki smiled and picked up her cellphone, speed-dialing Minami's number. "Good morning, Minami," she said.

[Nee-san. Good morning.]

"I haven't seen you since this morning. I take it that you couldn't sleep?" Miyuki asked.

[I was... preoccupied at the time. And no, I couldn't sleep. You?]

Miyuki shook her head. "Same. I can't sleep either."

[May I come over?]

Miyuki tilted her head thoughtfully. "It's so late, though," she whispered away from the phone. She thought on it for a bit.

[Nee-san?]

"If you want to," Miyuki finally answered. There was a pause before Minami replied.

[Is that a yes or a no?]

Miyuki giggled at Minami's confusion. "That's for you to decide," she said, hanging up.

[But-]

A part of Miyuki felt bad for doing that to Minami. But after learning of Yutaka and Minami's troubles earlier that day, that part of Miyuki was ignored in favor of the part that wanted to help them. Looking objectively, what Miyuki just did was for the best. Minami's passiveness had to be dealt with one way or another. Guilt be damned, it was for her own good.

_And yet I still cannot ignore that guilt,_ Miyuki thought, crossing the room to her door. _Is what I'm doing really the right thing?_ Hand on the handle, Miyuki paused in thought for a moment before shaking her head._ I can't answer that yet,_ she concluded. _I suppose I just need to keep moving forward and hope for the best._

With that, she opened the door and went down stairs to wait for Minami to arrive.

**LUCKY STAR**

With a final stroke of her pen, Konata finished all of her homework - an achievement met with much cheer and relief by both her and Yutaka. However, festivities did not continue on from that point as a single resounding chime rang throughout the house. It was the door bell. However, that in itself did not give the two girls pause. Had more to do with the time. Who would be visiting at such a late hour? That question was answered when Konata got up and opened the door.

"I'm home," Sojiro greeted with a tired but genuinely happy smile. He knelt down and held out his arms, to which Konata quickly jumped into.

"Welcome back, dad." Konata held him in a tight embrace. "I missed you."

"Same, sunshine. Same."

After a moment the embrace ended and the two moved back to the kitchen. Yutaka greeted Sojiro with just as much love as Konata and the three sat down and chatted.

"So," Konata began, smirking. "Who was your client today? Was it Ms. Kuroi again?"

Sojiro chuckled, shaking his head. "No. She hasn't been my client for nearly two weeks now. Either she's gotten tired of me, or she's ran out of money."

Konata laughed. "Or, more likely, she just got engrossed in the new quest-line they added in the recent of that MMO we play. That was all she was talking about last night."

Sojiro sweat dropped. "Well, considering how Nanako is, I guess that makes sense. She does seem to be the type to do that."

Konata perked up upon hearing that. She looked at her father curiously. "Hmm, what's this? You're on a first-name basis already?"

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

Konata shook her head. "Nothing really. I just think it's really interesting." Then, with a grin and a sly tilt of her head, she asked "What do you think of her?"

Sojiro frowned and crossed his arms. Clearly he knew what Konata was doing and Konata was well aware that he knew. "Level with me here, Konata," he said. "Do you ship me with your homeroom teacher."

Konata looked away, still smiling her signature cat smile. "Maybe," she said.

Yutaka simply sat confusedly to the side. "What's going on?" she asked, looking pleadingly at Sojiro. "I can tell Konata's trying to tease you, uncle, but I don't get what she's talking about."

Sojiro closed his eyes and bowed his head. "She thinks her homeroom teacher and I make a good couple," he said tiredly.

Yutaka blinked once before her face flushed. "O-oh!" She awkwardly looked away. "Um... that's a little..."

"Uncomfortable?" Sojiro suggested. "That's exactly how _I_ feel. In any case..." He looked back to his daughter who was still smiling innocently. "Care to explain why you think the way you do?"

Konata stood and slammed her palms onto the table dramatically. "Because you two would be so cute!" she exclaimed. "It would be perfect! The hardcore otaku and the online game fanatic! It fits so well it's crazy!"

Yutaka looked between Konata and Sojiro with concern. Sojiro didn't look pleased, though he didn't seem all that upset either. He still wasn't reacting positively to it. Konata, of course, looked quite sure of herself. Although, upon seeing Yutaka's confused stare, the bluenette's will began to falter. Konata frowned and looked away.

"Well, that's my main reason. Though I guess there are others as well," she added awkwardly.

Yutaka and Sojiro glanced at each other before prompting her to continue.

Konata swallowed. She probably shouldn't have brought up the topic, now that she thought about it. It would give the inevitable question of _why_, of which she only had one serious answer. It wasn't that her reasons were impure or malicious - quite the opposite, in fact. No, the problem is what that answer entailed and how Sojiro and Yutaka would react to it. Even still, she already began. No use giving up right in the middle of it. Might as well tell them. She took a deep breath and answered.

"It'd be nice having a mom, you know?"

There was a small pause after Konata said that. It was the very thing Konata expected to experience after telling them her real reason. She could almost see the pieces fitting themselves into place in both of their minds. She had a bad feeling about this...

Sojiro blinked before looking down guiltily. "Really?" he asked quietly.

Konata scratched her cheeks. "Well... yeah. I'm not upset by the fact that my mom is gone. It'd just be nice to know how it feels to have one. Ms. Kuroi's been basically like a mom to me for three years now. And it's not like you hate each other, right? And, I don't know, you two seemed to be a good pairing to me. It felt like a best case scenario..."

Konata laughed awkwardly. "I really shouldn't have brought the topic up. It's not like anything would come of it."

"Why not?" Yutaka asked, her small voice sounding especially loud in the silence of the room.

Konata shrugged. "Well, I'm going to college in a few months. I'll basically be swamped with stuff to do that I can't afford to slack off on. Even _if_ I suddenly got a mom, it's not like I'd enjoy having one."

Sojiro looked at her seriously though still notably unsure. "How long have you felt this way"

"I don't know. Maybe a few months ago? I just think it would have been nice. Like, if this happened last year, I'd be pushing harder. But now? I don't think I have the right to force anyone, especially not you, dad."

"Gah!" Konata suddenly yelled. "Can't we talk about something else now? Obviously this topic makes all of us uncomfortable."

Sojiro scowled but made no comment. "If you want," he said, "then by all means, change the topic."

Thus the conversation continued as if the previous topic was never brought up. Though there was a noticeable tenseness in the air that night...

**LUCKY STAR**

In the kitchen, Miyuki set down two glasses of hot chocolate onto the table and sat down across from Minami. Minami took said mug and took a sip. Miyuki took a sip as well. There was silence for a time as they enjoyed each other company and the warmth of the drink they were drinking.

"So," Miyuki began. "Tell me about your day. You weren't at dinner so we didn't get to talk. Please indulge me."

"Hmm..."Minami took another sip and closed her eyes, trying to think of a concise way to detail her day. "Well, we went to that family restaurant near the station two stops over. The food was good and the waiters were nice. Yutaka pointed out that I inadvertently made one of the waiters blush when I thanked him for the meal. I honestly had no idea."

Miyuki smiled. "Oh, that must have been cute."

Minami looked down. "Yutaka seemed to think so. She found my obliviousness amusing."

"I can imagine so. To think someone who can read body language didn't see something as obvious as a person blushing." Miyuki giggled. "It _is_ pretty amusing when you think about it."

Miyuki then took a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm sorry about that. I meant no offence."

Minami closed her eyes again. "Don't worry. None was taken. It was just a small annoyance, but there was no harm done."

She then continued telling Miyuki her day, though there wasn't much to talk about - there was very little that happened which would be considered interesting. However, while the individual moments would be considered uninteresting, the entire date taken as a whole was another story.

"I think we lost something," Minami said. "There's something just... missing... in our relationship."

Miyuki gave her a sad look. It wasn't pity, that much Minami could tell. What could it be? Disappointment? Perhaps. Either way, there was one thing Minami was certain of. She _knew_ something. She knew and chose to keep it from her.

"That's... unfortunate," Miyuki said, choosing her words carefully. "What do you think is wrong?"

Minami frowned. "I don't know. I'm scared, honestly. I wish I did..."

Miyuki tilted her head, closing her eyes. "Hmm. Give it your best guess."

"I don't..." Minami stopped herself and thought. If Miyuki knew something, obviously she was trying to fix it. That was just in her nature. She'd never get directly involved, but she'd help from behind the stage. From her and Yutaka's problems with the death threats to Kagami's depression - she was helping with all of that. That said, there _must_ be a reason she was asking that question. So, then, what should Minami say?

"I... I don't understand her anymore," Minami finally answered. "She notices things more than I can and she tells me about it, but... recently, the way she reacts to it doesn't make sense to me."

"I assume that incident with the waiter is an example?"

"Yes. When she pointed out how the waiter was blushing, she said '_so I'm not the only one'_ under her breath. I don't she meant for me to hear her."

Miyuki's face remained an impassive look of interest. It wasn't that she found it entertaining or engaging. It looked more like she was piecing together a puzzle. And it seemed like the puzzle involved Minami's relationship with Yutaka. Yet, Minami doubted if anyone other than herself would have realized what Miyuki's expression meant. She was hiding it. Why though?

Minami gave Miyuki a puzzled look of her own. _There's something she isn't telling me..._

However, all suspicion Minami had was shelved as she opted to change the topic. Nothing good would come of this so it was better that they talk about something else.

"What about you, Nee-san? How was _your_ day?"

Miyuki smiled "Hmm, well, my day wasn't quite as interesting as yours but perhaps that's just my opinion." She closed her eyes, thinking. "Well, starting from the time you left..."

Minami breathed a sigh of relief. Miyuki didn't further the topic.

**LUCKY STAR**

**As of this chapter, this story passes 200k words. Took me over a year, but really, it should have been last chapter that I broke 200k (seriously, I was at 199k. A thousand more and I would have done it!).**

**Any way, so begins another arc, though it's as much the same arc as it is a different one. It's hard to tell with long running stories where previous plot points are always being brought up.  
**

**Kagami's section was an overall joy to write. Something about her having an introspection during family dinner really amuses me.  
Misao's section as well, since it happens basically at the same time, though I admit, I'm a little disappointed at how short it was.**

**Konata's two sections make me really happy and at the same time, really annoyed. There are certain parts that were amazingly easy to write while others were a chore. Konata's acting really out of character, isn't she? Well, that's not new in this story. Also, it is the point where I tell everyone that it's almost Christmas in this story. You know what _that_ means, right?**

**Miyuki's two sections were originally going to be three but that was something I cut. I am very much disappointed in the second one but I seriously couldn't think of a better way to do it.**

**Anyway, that was this chapter. The next chapter already has two sections finished but they aren't very long. It'll get here eventually. Til, then, see ya.**

**Unrelated to this story, go and read Symantra's works. They're a relatively new face in this fandom and they have interesting ideas.  
**


	42. Discussions during Dawn

**So this chapter releases slightly faster than the last chapter. Christmas fast approaches, for both this fic _and_ IRL. If I manage to churn out 3 or 4 chapters within two months, I'd probably manage to get a Christmas chapter on December 25. But that's the future. For now, settle for this chapter.**

**Speaking of which, this'll be a chapter similar to the last. _Discussions at dawn,_ and dawn does in fact mean dawn in this context. Why the heck are they even awake so early, though? Well, read and find out.**

**Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami opened her eyes to darkness. It was a complete darkness - one so pitch black that Kagami could almost feel the eyes of the abyss staring back at her as her eyes desperately tried to look for light in the infinite void of nothingness before her. They were coming for her. No - they were already there, pinning her down. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She tried to cry out but found that she couldn't. There was no chance of escape. She was done for.

Of course, after several agonizing minutes, Kagami felt a weight lift from her chest. She could move and again. She very quickly realized that she might just have awoken some time before dawn. There was no abyss or creatures of the night to speak of. That just her mind trying to justify her body's apparent paralysis, connecting non-existent dots to come to a illogical conclusion. Even still, the fear felt all too real. When she tried to move her hands, which in itself was a surprisingly difficult task, she could tell they were shaking.

She gave a tired sigh of relief, and groped around for her phone. Upon finding it, she flipped it open and checked the time. The light stung her eyes.

_It's three AM. _Kagami squinted at the phone screen. _That explains why its so dark. Just a few hours before dawn. And the sky's probably covered with clouds so there's no moonlight._

She relaxed into her bed. _That was terrible,_ she thought. _Absolutely terrible._

It had been a long while since she woke up the way she did. The last time it happened, she and Tsukasa still shared a room - and that was ages ago. She had forgotten how scary that was. It still maintained its status as the worst thing Kagami had ever experienced.

She lied down in silence for a few minutes, only speaking up when she realized. "I don't wanna go back to sleep," she suddenly said, quickly sitting up. "I need some air." She stood and began changing into her casual clothes.

**LUCKY STAR**

It had to be noted that the grey twilight before dawn brought with it a ghostly mist, giving the neighborhood an aura of calm. Granted, that aura of calm was already apparent regardless of the mist, but even but that was beside the point. The mist amplified said aura of calm to unprecedented levels, though amplified might not be the right term. It also helped that there was literally no activity in the streets since everyone was asleep. Everyone except Miyuki.

She had not slept. Her mind was far too busy thinking of the conflict between Minami and Yutaka. It permeated her thoughts so thoroughly that she couldn't settle down and rest. Really, it was quite a pickle since she now paced back and forth in her room, still awake yet feeling very sleepy. It didn't help that she kept the lights on.

_I know both sides of the story,_ Miyuki thought, _but I can't seem to puzzle together how I'm supposed to fix things. Yes, I could always just tell them what their problems are with each other, but without proper communication between them, it's a temporary solution at best._ She sighed in tired frustration. _Oh, how I miss the months where their problems involved Minami's guilt for giving Yutaka a surprise kiss. It was so much simpler back then._

Miyuki idly grabbed her phone from her nightstand, feeling the strange compulsion to check it. And then, as if to give meaning to her sudden urge, it suddenly started ringing. _Hiiragi Kagami_, her screen said. She quickly pressed accept and brought the phone to her ear.

"Good morning, Kagami," Miyuki greeted. She was met with an earful of static before Kagami replied.

[M-Miyuki-san! ... um, good morning... I didn't expect you to answer so quickly... I guess you were already awake...]

Miyuki smiled. "Yes. I've been having trouble sleeping lately. Things have been on my mind. Am I right to assume it's the same with you? I mean, it's a little past five in the morning. Why else would you call at this time?" More static came blaring through the phone speakers.

[I - but - er - things on my mind...? Well... you can say that, yeah - just... uh...]

Miyuki repressed a giggle. She could almost see Kagami's flustered face. She was once again reminded why Konata liked teasing people so much - especially Kagami.

"In any case, what made you call now of all times?" There was a pause before the response.

[Well, for some reason, I had a feeling you were up.]

"Curious," Miyuki said. "I wouldn't write off that this might be a complete coincidence but it is quite interesting that it happened none the less. Hmm..." She closed her eyes. "I suppose it doesn't really matter," she concluded. "Ah, would you care to speak, Kagami? I don't think you called me with no topic in mind."

[I woke up in a cold sweat, feeling completely terrified.]

For a few seconds, the only the low buzzing of the phone speakers could be heard. Miyuki had some trouble fully understanding what she just heard. "May I have more context, please?"

[I kinda don't wanna talk about it over the phone. Would it be okay if I come over?]

Miyuki thought for a bit. "Well, I don't mind if you're willing to go through the trouble of commuting here."

[*Chuckle* You don't need to worry about that. Look outside your window.]

There was a pause. Miyuki blinked as it dawned upon her what Kagami just told her. "You don't mean to say..." She didn't finish her sentence as she quickly headed over to her window to check outside. "Kagami."

Sure enough, Kagami was standing in front of their gate, looking at Miyuki's window. She waved hello, to which Miyuki waved back.

Miyuki pieced together the puzzle of Kagami's words earlier. "The reason you had a feeling I was up," Miyuki said, echoing Kagami's words. "It was my shadow, wasn't it?"

[I saw someone going in circles in your room. Who else could it have been other than you?]

Miyuki smiled. "Well, it could have been Minami... But I see your point. " She chuckled and shook her head. "I'll be down in a bit. Please bear with the cold for a little while longer."

[I'm wearing three layers here, Miyuki. I can bear with the cold. What's killing me are my feet. See you in a bit -click-]

With that, the call ended and Miyuki headed down stairs to let someone in for the second time in six hours.

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao jumped out of bed, feeling a little bit groggy but otherwise awake. Just as she did yesterday, she made her way to the bath room to brush her teeth, after which, she returned to her room to change into her track suit. She felt mildly hungry but she decided to do her morning exercise first before cooking breakfast. Thus, she went down stairs, went out side and began stretching.

"Hmm, I'll probably have to run for an hour," she muttered to herself upon finishing her stretches. She checked her phone for the time before stuffing it in her tracksuit pocket. "I wonder how many laps I can do around the town?" She smirked, crouching down onto the street. "Only one way to find out."

With the time limit set, Misao burst into a sprint, quickly reaching her top speed in a matter of seconds. At the pace she was going, most of her route around her neighborhood went by like a blur. Not that it really mattered. She had chosen the route she took for the the very fact that she had had ran through it so many times that it didn't distract her anymore.

Thus, she didn't see the corner store that was in the process of opening - she'd get back to it later that day if she ever needed to buy some soda or snacks. She didn't see the moving van from the other side of the corner either. It came as a big surprise as she narrowly dodged getting hit by both a side mirror. But, other than those two incidents, her run was quite uneventful.

An hour later, Misao circled another bend and skidded to a stop in front of her house. Ten minutes into her run, she slowed her pace to a jog. Forty minutes later, she picked the pace back up and sprinted for the rest of her allotted time. Her run that morning was significantly more strenuous that it had been in the previous day - with significantly more laps.

Really, though, she needed it. For most of the day prior, she had been restless and completely uneasy inside the house. There was a certain feeling of confinement that didn't leave her at all during that day. It more or less came from Ayano and her admittedly understandable but even still unpleasant personal issues with both herself and her sister. It wasn't like Misao wanted no part in all that drama, it's just that she had long gotten tired of it. Everyone seemed to have drama in their lives, she noticed. Kagami's drama was already difficult enough to deal with, but piling on everyone else's just makes it all the more tiring. It made her want to be alone and stop concerning herself with people.

And that was concerning in and of itself, she thought. She always saw herself as a people-person. She saw herself as someone who did well in groups - arguably better in groups, even. But recently, being in a group just exhausted her. Everyone had problems they were dealing with and, whether they meant to or not, they'd end up involving Misao in some way. It was frustrating - more so because she can't really help rather than the very fact that they got her involved at all. She was fine getting involved as long as she could actually _help_.

She was useless in most situations. She could never fix the problem. At best, she'd distract people from the problem - and that usually made things worse in the long run. So why, then, would they keep involving her?

Though, she was probably part of the reason. On more than one occasion, she had deliberately intervened, disregarding her own uselessness in the situation. It was just her nature. She couldn't stand seeing people upset. She always wanted to help. Which was part of the reason she stayed with Kagami for so long, she realized.

Kagami was a mess. There was no denying it. But the thought of Kagami being happy drove Misao to her limit trying to help. She wanted Kagami to be happy. Misao knew with every fiber of her being: Kagami being happy was sure to make herself happy as well. She didn't know how. She just did.

Thus, she stayed with her. She stayed regardless of the pain and frustration that staying entailed. It was because she wanted Kagami to be happy. Her own happiness was directly tied to it.

Misao smiled wryly. _Is this love? Is this how I love? Is this seriously how I love?_ She held back a bitter laugh. _This is honestly messed up..._

Her introspection was cut short, however, by a voice from the front door of her house. "Oi, dog! Catch."

_Masaru,_ she thought, turning to face him only to reflexively block, fumble, and ultimately catch a water bottle casually tossed her way. She glared at Masaru. "Hey, give me some more time to react next time, why don't ya?" She then looked down at the bottle, finally realizing he was trying to be nice. "And... uh... thanks?"

Masaru raised an eyebrow but his expression remained dry and unenthusiastic. "One, duly noted. I'll give you a warning maybe a split second earlier next time."

"That doesn't help!"

"Two, don't mention it. I get the feeling you really pushed yourself today so I thought I'd do you a favor. Considering you were standing there for a good five minutes, you must have _really_ been tired.." He smirked. "Imagine it. You were drenched in sweat, staring angrily into space. You looked like a crazy person."

Her frown deepened "Oh, fuck you." With that she set the bottle down and started her cool-down stretches.

Masaru sat down at the steps and waited for her to finish. After a few minutes he spoke up again. "So, what was up with that, though? Stopping and thinking isn't normally what you'd do when you have a problem. What's wrong?"

Standing up straight, Misao picked up the bottle and uncapped it. "Ah," she gasped after a long swig. She then turned to Masaru. "How did you do it?"

There was a certain echo to those words in the silence that followed - and echo and a sense of desperation. The two maintained eye-contact, not speaking but communicating nonetheless. What did Misao mean by that question? Well, it was pretty obvious between the two of them.

Masaru closed his eyes, bowing his head. "Three years is a long time, Misao," he muttered. "I can't tell you how I survived that long. I honestly don't know myself."

"I don't know if I can do this..."

Masaru looked up, giving Misao a condescending half-smile. "You don't know a lot of things." He stood and turned to the door, gripping the handle. With out looking back, he said, "Just wing it. It's worked before, hasn't it?"

With that, Masaru went back into the house, leaving Misao standing outside, sweaty and freezing in the morning breeze.

"But it _didn't_ work before," Misao muttered a minute later. "In the end, winging it didn't work. So what am I supposed to do...?"

Her question wasn't answered.

**LUCKY STAR**

A familiar scene presented itself to Kagami and Miyuki. They both sat in comfortable couches in the Takara living room, sipping warm drinks as the let the calm silence linger. The sense of dejavu was well deserved as they realized that they were, in fact, in the very same situation just one day prior.

"I don't know what to say," Miyuki said. "I've never experienced a night terror. Nightmares, yes, but never something like that."

Kagami scowled, taking a sip of her drink. "The last time it happened was years ago. I don't know why it happened again today, but it was terrible..."

"So, I suppose that's your reason for being out this early in the morning?" Miyuki asked, taking a sip as well. Kagami nodded. "Hmm. I don't understand one thing," she said, to which Kagami responded by raising an eyebrow. "Of all the places to visit, why here? My house is, with out a doubt, the farthest from your house."

Kagami looked down at her drink, her reflection distorted in the rippling drink. "I just felt like it," she muttered. "Besides," she added, "I needed the exercise."

"You walked over 10 kilometers early in the morning while lacking sleep - plus, it must have been incredibly cold. Exercise or not, that is very bad for your health."

"I don't know, okay? You felt like the right person to go to. I just... I don't know..."

Miyuki looked impassively before closing her eyes taking another sip. What was she to say? Kagami wasn't an idiot so she was sure to know the risk - she didn't need Miyuki scolding her for it. But still a lone girl going out in the dead of night to walk the streets? The very thought of it brought an incredible amount of worry.

"Did you tell your parents?"

Kagami went wide-eyed. "I didn't tell my parents," she said in a sudden realization, sounding just as horrified as her parents would be when they find out she left the house.

Miyuki took another sip before setting her drink down onto the table. Her first impulse was to say 'oh dear' though, for whatever reason, she remained silent. Either way, her reaction was appropriate. She closed her eyes and took a slow and deep breath.

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka awoke that morning feeling more tired than she'd been in months. She was also somewhat dizzy, but not quite dizzy enough to be unable to walk in a straight line. Still, walking was _not_ easy. She had to keep one hand on the wall to take any step with some semblance of confidence that she wouldn't fall over - it was more a precaution for a possible risk than a compensation for lack of ability. And since she was hugging the wall, she immediately noticed that Konata's door was open when she reached that point in the hallway.

"Oh, good morning, Onee-chan," Yutaka greeted. When there was no response, she entered for a closer look.

Konata was sitting in the corner on her bed, legs up to her chest and staring blankly into space. She looked absolutely miserable. Yutaka frowned as the sight of her. "Konata?" she said worriedly.

Konata blinked and then looked at Yutaka, a smile forming on her face almost instantly. "Ey, Yutaka. Good morning," she greeted.

Yutaka gave a small smile as well, though Konata's sudden switch from sad to happy was still somewhat disconcerting. "Is something wrong?" she asked apprehensively.

"Yes. Something was wrong. Keyword: was." Konata jumped out of bed and began stretching. "I couldn't sleep so I stayed awake the whole night. Do you have any idea how bored I was? There was no one in the house to talk to and the people of the internet forums I go to were being absolute assholes. I literally just had to sit down and force myself into a state of absolute mindlessness to survive the night."

"Did it help?"

"I guess? It was pretty much the same as sleep, except I don't feel rested at all."

"Isn't that bad, though?" Yutaka asked worriedly. "It's not healthy, staying up all night. Don't you have a big day today with Hiyori-san?"

Konata scowled, seeming to think on the situation. "Meh, I'll catch on sleep tomorrow," she decided. "It's not like we don't have a week of winter break still waiting on us."

Konata then began herding Yutaka out the door. "Now let's go have some breakfast. I'm starving!"

"Ah. Konata, stop. My pajama pants caught on something. Wait!"

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami sat uncomfortably next to Miyuki at the table. When she went to Miyuki's house, she did not expect to have breakfast with her family. Further increasing her discomfort was the knowledge that her own mother and father were very upset at her for leaving the house in the middle of the night - she could tell from their voices on the phone. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Miyuki and Minami's parents were of the same opinion on the matter. They were more happy that she wasn't hurt than they were disapproving of her sneaking out. Still, it did nothing to help Kagami's conscience.

"Relax, Kagami," Miyuki said, spoon feeding her some omelet rice. "Now chew... and swallow... Isn't that better?"

Kagami stared dryly at Miyuki, unperturbed by the kind smile she was giving. "I can eat on my own, you know?"

Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I am aware. So why, then, were you just staring into your food like it upsetting?" She brought spoonful to Kagami's mouth. "Now, will you eat on your own or must I continue this? This is just as awkward for me as it is for you."

Kagami scowled, lightly pushing away Miyuki's spoon in favor of using her own.

Across the table, Honoka giggled. "My, my. I never thought indirect kisses were such a casual thing these days."

Kagami blinked, then glanced at Miyuki. She just ate another spoonful of food, already bringing up another one. "Wait, we seriously just..." She was not able to finish that sentence as a wave of guilt suddenly knocked the wind out of her lungs.

_I... I just kissed Miyuki... Indirectly, yeah, but... but... am I fine with this...? It's just an indirect kiss. Not an actual one. It doesn't count... Would Misao think that...? Probably... Unless I actually go kissing other people, it shouldn't matter... right...? I'm not cheating, right...? She'd be okay with this... she would..._

"Breathe, Kagami." Kagami suddenly felt Miyuki squeeze tightly on her shoulder. "It's nothing to worry about."

Miyuki then turned. "Honoka-san, please keep any teasing of that nature to yourself. She isn't exactly in a good spot right now in regards to... that particular topic." She was choosing her words carefully.

Honoka frowned, upset by the turn of events. "I did not mean any harm, but I suppose intentions don't reflect the consequence. I'm sorry Kagami. I'll be sure to be more tactful next time."

There was a pause.

"Thank you for the meal," Minami said, standing up. She then took her dishes and brought it to the kitchen.

Kagami, still somewhat shaken, watched the mint-haired girl leave the room. She seemed upset. Then Kagami glanced at Miyuki, who already looked to be analyzing what was wrong.

"Um, Miyuki," Kagami muttered. "The thing with Minami..."

"It's complicated," Miyuki answered cryptically. Then she continued eating, not saying another word.

Kagami glanced worriedly between the two adults who were similarly confused by Minami leaving. _My coming here might have been a mistake,_ she thought to herself.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata stood at the stove, frying up the remains of last night's rice to make breakfast. They had enough left for two or three people - which was perfect because there were only three people in the house.

Sojiro entered the kitchen, taking his usual seat at the table. "Good morning, girls," he greeted tiredly.

"Good morning Uncle Sojiro."

Konata turned off the stove, transferring the rice into three bowls. "Morning, Dad," Konata greeted, setting down the bowls and taking a seat. "Why're you up so early?"

Sojiro smiled, turning to Yutaka. "Yuki called me just now. She'll be visiting for the holidays. She'll arrive later tonight and will stay until New Year's day."

Yutaka's smile could turned night into day with how bright it was. "Mom's visiting?"

"I bet Yui-neesan's gonna be just as happy," Konata commented, following suit and smiling as well. "This is great. Haven't seen Aunt Yuki in years."

"Neither have I," Sojiro said in agreement. "Hopefully we can have some time to catch up."

Yuki Kobayakawa, younger sister of Sojiro Izumi and mother of both Yui Narumi and Yutaka Kobayakawa, was a woman responsible for Konata's quick wit. From as early as five years old, Konata was having conversations with her aunt that could be compared to the kind of back and forth banter that she and Kagami would often engage in. The hours they'd talk, seamlessly transitioning from one topic to another despite how random the train of thought seemed. Konata missed talking to Yuki, and hopefully it'll still be as engaging as it used to be.

"Looks like today's gonna be a busy day," Konata said, grinning. "I've got a date today, a family reunion tonight, and a Christmas MMO event at midnight. This'll be fun."

Yutaka and Sojiro agreed. The day was going to be fun.

**LUCKY STAR**

**This chapter released earlier than I expected but it has to do with Miyuki and Kagami's two scenes at the start. Originally, those were supposed to be the end of the chapter, but they didn't quite fit the theme I had in my head so I moved them here. To be honest, they don't quite fit with the rest of these scenes either. It's unfortunate since I consider them both to be some of the best scenes I've written in weeks.**

**Konata and Yutaka's section are more of a set up for a later - possibly but not necessarily the next - chapter in this story. I'm the most excited about it since Yuki has been mentioned many times but not once have I had any actual scenes with her. At the same time, I'm a little apprehensive. This is going to be another OC to add to the list. I'm not entirely sure if she'll be an enjoyable read. Hopefully she will be.**

**Miyuki's sections were also fun. The Kagami-Miyuki dynamic's really been underutilized in this fic considering how much fun I seem to have with it. Granted, Kagami's unstable emotional state sorta makes it hard to realistically portray them as happy.**

**As for Misao and Masaru's section, I'm sorta giving them a break. They've been the focus for maybe four chapters prior? They'll get another chance to shine later.**

**Also, it's nearly November 5. And, as such, I plan on releasing another cute short story in _Unrelated Moments_. You can probably guess what pairing I plan on writing for. Look forward to that.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully the next one will be enjoyable too.**


	43. Discussions over Lunch

**After around a month, here is the new chapter. Have you been waiting long?  
**

**This will be a morning with a lot of unrelated moments that happen to coincide with each other. And as you have probably come to expect of this story, there will be a lot of dialogue. All of it discussed at around lunch time.**

**Enjoy if you can. And if not, I apologize.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata walked purposefully through the sea of people that filled the streets of Akihabara. What would normally be gross and sweaty mess of humidity was significantly more comfortable due to the cold weather. Thus, the crowd did not bother her nearly as much as it normally did. And even if it did, she would just ignore it. She had a date today. A date to die for, so to speak.

"Tamura, Yasaka. Report," Konata ordered, using the commanding tone of her Haruhi voice.

Hiyori elbowed through the crowd to walk at Konata's side. "Gamerz at twelve o' clock. They still have a lot in stock but it won't last long. If we're gonna buy, it's now or never."

Ko followed soon after. "The most crowded area is the manga section. Second is the DVDs and Blu-rays."

Konata kept a serious face, but she had the urge to grin. "As expected," she growled. "Do you know your roles?"

Hiyori and Ko nodded. "The two of us break through the crowds and get the manga and DVDs we want, while Tamura here runs around grabbing as much stuff from the low density areas as possible."

"Excellent. Remember our purchase list. Higher the place on the list, the higher the purchase priority." A smile found it's way on Konata's face as they approached their destination. "Begin operation. Lock and load, people."

**LUCKY STAR**

"Wait, seriously?"

A not quite expected surprise came to Kagami's door step that morning when two individuals of the names Misao Kusakabe and Ayano Minegishi respectively showed up to visit. Misao, of course, was not surprising to see in the slightest. They had agreed to meet every other day after their vacation began. Ayano, on the other hand, was a friend she did not expect to see for quite some time. It got her feeling quite guilty, in fact, as she suddenly realized that she had made no plans to see the orange haired girl at all during vacation. And she had the gall to call Ayano her friend.

But that guilt was pushed aside as the three talked in Kagami's room, Misao playfully kicking round on the bed as she read some manga while the other two discussed a rather... awkward topic... at the table.

"Yes. I've been in love with Misao for a long time now."

The silence that followed was uncomfortably confusing. Kagami wasn't sure what expression she should make so she ended up giving Ayano and halfhearted and unsure smile. "Oh... okay then..."

Ayano giggled, shaking her head. "Relax, Kagami. This isn't a big deal... At least not anymore."

A shadow of pain fell over Ayano's face but passed as quickly as it came. Kagami barely saw the shifting emotions. She almost doubted what she saw. But she did. And she knew what it entailed. It _was_ a big deal. Ayano shouldn't have been downplaying how important it was. And yet, the feeling of sad, quiet acceptance Kagami sensed in Ayano made the her more inclined to believe. At the time, it _was_ a big deal. Now, it most likely wasn't.

With a little bit of reluctance, Kagami nodded. Really, what else was she to do? All of that had passed without her even knowing. It's not like she could have changed anything - not right then. Maybe if she weren't so caught up in her own worries, she probably could have helped... right?

"Is it okay if I ask some questions?" Kagami asked.

Ayano smiled. "By all means."

Kagami swallowed. What was she doing? This type of personal matter wasn't the type of thing you asked people about. Then again, Ayano had brought up the topic in the first place and it was a topic Kagami had no knowledge of. Of course she'd have questions. It was to be expected. So why did she feel so bad about asking?

"So... uh... why didn't you tell her? Misao, I mean, like at the time. You knew Misao had a crush on me but was really confused about her feelings back then. Why didn't you tell her when she wasn't sure yet?"

Ayano closed her eyes as she stated her simple reason for not having spoken of her love to the person whom she loved. It was a short answer, and very well explains the entirety of her struggles with Misao, Masaru, and her older sister. But, Kagami had none of the context so the explanation gave more questions than answers.

"I was confused and ended up falling in love with her brother as well."

There was a pause before Kagami's reply.

"What."

A flat _what_ came as the response as Kagami continued to try and piece together what in the world Ayano was talking about. After which Ayano decided to detail her plight from the very beginning - from her misunderstanding with Misao that caused her to ask Masaru out three years ago to the to the emotional climax and resolution that constituted most of yesterday. After thirty minutes of exposition, Kagami was left slack-jawed and emotionally drained.

The entire story held a number of similarities with Kagami's own love life - enough that they couldn't possibly be coincidences. For one, Misao had been the cause of both, for another, the respective girl was in love with someone else before the incidents began. There were many more, and the dots were connecting themselves in Kagami's mind faster than she'd like. And what made matter's worse was the fact that the most significant similarity, albeit the broadest one she could list off, was also the most unpleasant. The pony-tailed tsundere had one word to describe it.

"Wow," she muttered. "That was depressing. Really really depressing..."

"Tell me about it," Misao muttered. The two turned to Misao who had finished reading her manga and was now lying perpendicular to the bed, her head, arms, and shoulders dangling limply off the edge. "You two are messed up," she said, a playful smirk adorning her face. "And to think you two are my best friends. Talk about a pain in the ass."

Ayano chuckled while Kagami pouted indignantly. "Well, it's not my fault I'm messed up," Kagami grumbled, looking away. "Besides, I'm already trying to get better."

Misao smiled lovingly. "Aww, I know you are, Kagami." She crawled out of the bed and onto the floor, pulling Kagami into a big hug. "Don't take what I said to heart. You know I still love you."

"Hey! Misao, quit it." Kagami made a half-serious attempt to push the brunette away. "I'm too tired to deal with this right now. Just get off." She stopped struggling. She could sense Misao would have let go if she gave more effort in escaping though she was not sure whether she wanted that anymore. Relaxing into her girlfriend's arms wasn't as unpleasant as she initially expected to be. Misao smiled.

As Ayano happily watched the two act cute, she asked, "How can you be tired? It's almost noon."

Kagami blinked and then scratched her cheek. She had slept not even three hours that night, walked a considerable distance in the near freezing morning air, and may have accidentally pushed a mother and daughter into a disagreement of some sort, all before nine in the morning. "How can you be tired," while a perfectly normal question, was one that annoyed Kagami to an unfortunate degree, not only because she was asked it, but also because she needed to formulate an answer from the confusing mess that was her day up to that point.

"Uh... about that..."

What followed was another not-quite-as-long moment of exposition wherein Kagami explained what happened that morning. It didn't take thirty minutes this time, but it was long enough that it was already lunch time by the time she finished.

"So then I got home and got a brutal scolding by my mom and dad. You guys arrived maybe an hour after," Kagami said, finally putting an end to her story.

Miki's voice came muffled through the door. "Girls! Lunch is ready! Come on down now!"

Kagami wriggled out of Misao's hold and stood up. "C'mon, we'll talk some more after lunch."

Misao jumped to her feet. "Hey, there was that bit about an indirect kiss. Could you repeat that part."

Kagami's face reddened slightly as she glanced to the door. "Later," she said, grabbing Misao's hand and walking out of the room with her.

Ayano watched them leave, still keeping that same smile on her face, though it looked somewhat sadder and a little bit more frustrated than it did previously. "I'm kind of jealous, but they're just too cute." With that, she sighed, standing up to follow them to the kitchen.

**LUCKY STAR**

A little something to take note of when dealing with an upset Minami is that her anti-social tendencies start to seem significantly more anti-social the more upset she is. Miyuki was all too aware of this fact as she tried to get the mint haired girl to leave her room for the third time that morning. The first time was just a few minutes after they finished breakfast - Kagami hadn't even gone home yet. The second time was just a few hours ago, a near equal amount of time between the first and third attempt. And, of course, her third attempt that was occurring right then. The previous had failed in similar manners - no words from the pinkette had garnered any response. It was an exercise in futility, she was starting to think, but she was concerned for the mint haired girl. As nosy as it seemed, she would continue to pester. Hopefully, the saying "third time's the charm" bore some merit in her situation.

"Minami, please open up. At least have lunch with us. You don't need to talk. Just don't disregard your health."

To Miyuki's surprise, she received her first reply since Minami locked herself up. Now that she thought about it, it made sense that she'd receive one for that particular set of statements. Minami was a nurse's assistant at school and self-proclaimed wet-nurse to one Yutaka Kobayakawa. Health was probably important to her.

The door opened, with Minami's stoic glare directly behind. Of course, the glare was just what her face looked like - Miyuki could tell that Minami wasn't angry, at least not at her. But she _was_ upset, and that definitely showed.

"Nee-san," Minami said quietly, hand on the knob and door still only half open. "May I have a talk with you and our mothers? After lunch if needed."

Miyuki smiled sadly. Minami had probably been thinking of a way to approach the subject without sounding confrontational with their mothers. And, more than likely, to cool off as well. She was not in a speaking mood when she left the table during breakfast, that was for sure. Despite how closed off her body language still was, this was significantly more approachable.

"Well let's go. Our food today is Hungarian sausages with baked potatoes."

Minami nodded and exited her room, joining Miyuki in the hallway. Miyuki found it interesting to note that, in addition to still looking deep in thought, Minami now also looked somewhat excited. Perhaps she was looking forward to having a relatively simple meal compared to what they normally have? If so, Miyuki had to shoot down her expectations.

"My mother is the one who cooked today so it's best to be prepared for the worst."

Minami managed a smile though it had a twinge of disappointment. Miyuki didn't blame her. Yukari's cooking was sub-par but was usually passable. Not something to look forward to but at least it was something.

With that, the two headed to the dinning table for lunch.

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka's meal was interrupted by the honking of a car horn.

She had taken one of Konata's leftover meals from the previous night out of the fridge and plopped the box into the microwave to re-heat. After around a minute and a half of waiting, a resounding -_ding_\- signaled that the microwave was done with it's job and had gone cold, ready to be opened up. Yutaka did so and took from its womb the warm meal it had given birth to. After which, she set the newborn box lunch onto the table, quietly asking herself how and why she came up with such a disturbing analogy for her re-heated meal. That was when she heard the car horn.

It was a familiar honk - one that she had heard multiple times. Recognizing the person who had probably parked outside, Yutaka headed to the front door and opened it. As expected, her sister, Yui, was standing at attention, smiling widely.

She gave a small wave, relaxing her posture. "Yoo-hoo, I'm here to hang out."

"Good morning, Onee-chan," Yutaka greeted cheerfully as she let the older sister in and closed the door. "I was just about to eat lunch. Sorry, but I only have enough for me."

"S'okay," Yui said, patting Yutaka's head. "I already ate. That's baby's all yours."

Yutaka blinked, silently wondering if she should bring up the topic of her weird and unusual analogy from earlier. She pictured the scenario in her head. _It's funny you say that,_ she could say. _Because I was thinking that my lunch was a kind of baby and the microwave gave birth to it._ She bit back a wince when she imagined one of Yui's possible replies. _Well, going by that logic, wouldn't that mean you took a frozen baby, stuffed it into someone's womb, had it sit there for a while, and then take it back out again?_ She then winced for real as she imagined what was described. After a few more imaginary back and forths, Yutaka decided it was best not to say anything.

They arrived at the kitchen and Yutaka took her seat, with Yui sitting across from her. Yui stared worriedly, causing Yutaka to worry a bit as well. "Is something wrong, Onee-chan?"

"Yutaka, how do you feel?" Yui asked, an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face.

"Uh..." Yutaka shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "I guess I feel a little light headed, but-"

She was cut off when Yui leaned forward, putting her hand on Yutaka's forehead. "That's a lot warmer than normal," Yui said anxiously. She pressed her palm on Yutaka's throat next to confirm her suspicions. "Yup. Looks like you've got a slight fever."

Yutaka blinked. _Oh, that explains why I'm being so weird, then,_ she thought, feeling somewhat relieved. She was starting to think that the surreal and disturbing scenarios she was imagining was something normal for her that she just didn't realize. The fact that she had a fever served to explain why she was imagining them - she tended to act that way when she was sick but did not realize it. When she was aware of her being sick, she normally forced herself to keep her mind on things like homework or a book she was reading. Really, she needed to think of anything except of just letting her mind wander or else she'd end up imagining weird things - like that one time when she imagined two Hiyori's drawing each other furiously only to rip the paper out of their respective sketch books, crumpling it up, and throwing it at the other Hiyori, before starting a new drawing of the other Hiyori, with the cycle repeating until they were both buried in paper. That was one of the most bizarre pseudo-controlled hallucinations she had ever imagined. She shuddered just thinking about it.

Yutaka smiled guiltily, scratching her cheek. "Now that you mention it, I did feel really bad when I woke up this morning. Still kinda do, actually."

Yui smiled as well. "You better hurry up and eat that. You need to get some rest. If we're lucky, that fever will have died down by the time mom arrives."

Yutaka nodded and began eating.

**LUCKY STAR**

At a small cafe just a block away from Gamerz, Konata slumped forward onto the table, resting her head on her arms. Ko sat across from her with a large pile of bags to her side. Hiyori was at the counter, paying for their drinks.

The Christmas-sale operation had gone without much incident. They got in, got the goods, and got out - not necessarily an easy feat to accomplish considering what '_getting in, the goods, and out_' entailed but it was accomplished all the same. Still, Konata could consider their successful mission a failure when looking at to from certain perspectives, particularly when regarding her wallet which was almost completely empty. She only had enough for the commute home. So much for what she had planned for the afternoon.

Ko leaned forward and patted Konata's head. "There there, senpai. If you need some money, I could always lend you some. I owe you a lot. Let me lessen that debt a little."

Konata tilted her head up just enough that she could see Ko under her bangs. "You owe me favors. Can you give me the exchange-rate for favors to yen?"

Ko sweat dropped. "Why not just take the money? I was prepared to spend everything I had today and I still have some left. I'll just give it to you."

Konata lowered her head again, groaning. "Noooo. I'd feel too guilty. I mooch off of people enough already. Actually taking money from some is just - ahhhhhh..."

Ko rested her chin on her palm, quietly waiting for Hiyori to arrive with their drinks while Konata's whining faded out of the audible sound spectrum. Eventually, the raven haired girl walked over, a three drinks meticulously held with only two arms. "Oi, Tamura, hurry up. Izumi's having whining episode and I don't know how to calm her down."

Hiyori rolled her eyes as she took her seat next to Konata, setting down the drinks. She then turned to the bluenette at her side and gave her a light chop to the head. Konata immediately sat up and looked at Hiyori with a victimized expression.

"Oh, Hiyori, how could you?" Konata asked. Hiyori gave her another chop to the head, this time with a little bit more force. "Ow! Okay, okay. I'll stop with the dramatics. Geez, you're like Kagami."

Ko raised an eyebrow at Hiyori. "I saw Hiiragi-senpai do it," Hiyori explained. "It seemed to work so I thought 'why not'." Ko blinked and then nodded, understanding.

"Really?" Konata said said, taking her iced coffee and aggressively sucking at the straw as she stared at Hiyori. "And when, pray-tell, did you see that? During one of your hunts for '_inspiration_'."

"Um, _no_," Hiyori lied, nervously sipping her own drink as she looked away.

Konata stared dryly at the guilty looking manga artist. "You're a really bad liar, Hiyori," she said flatly.

Hiyori sighed, deciding it's best that she not try to hide it anymore - it wasn't working anyway. "Okay, fine. Yes, I was looking for some inspiration and you two happened to be in the cafeteria at the time. It was really cute, okay?"

Ko snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's the one you made back in June, right? For that anthology you sold during Summer Comiket?"

"Yep. Exactly."

Konata cursed under her breath. She wasn't able to go to Summer Comiket so she wasn't able to read it. She'd have to check up on that later when she had money. Maybe Hiyori had more copies.

"In any case..." Ko pulled out several bills from out of her wallet. "Senpai, just take the money. This is not a request."

"Ahh." Konata buried her face in her arms. "No, I'm not taking any charities nor do I want to owe you people. I won't take the money." As she said this, her hand inched towards the bills in twitchy uncertainty.

"Hmm." Ko glanced at Hiyori, smirking. The raven haired girl snickered and gestured for her to keep going. Ko rolled her eyes and handed the bills to Konata, literally taking Konata's hand and putting the money in the middle of the bluenette's palm and closing it into a fist.

Konata looked up, guiltily pocketing the money. "Thank you," she muttered weakly, a defeated expression now adorning her face.

Ko grinned. "Don't mention it." She then removed the cap from her own drink and downed her entire cup. "Whoo, there's that caffeine," she said, crushing her now empty cup.

Hiyori took another sip of her own drink before leaning forward over the table. "Really, though. Why are you so against asking for help?" she asked, propping her head up with her arm.

"Ah, interesting you asked that," Konata said. "Because last night, I had a really weird dream. It wasn't a nightmare but it wasn't something I'd want to experience again. It was unpleasant, to say the least..."

**LUCKY STAR**

Miyuki let the silence stay silent as the four of them ate. Something akin to a delicate balance was achieved that lunch. It was just awkward enough that no one was speaking, but comfortable enough that everyone still had an appetite. Thus, the table, while lacking conversation, was still very much active, albeit in terms of utensils cutting and stabbing the food and mouths chewing it. Not much else to comment on, if Miyuki had to be honest.

Upon finishing her meal, Minami set her fork and knife down vertically on her plate and cleared her throat. "Mother, may I have a word with you after lunch?" she asked, voice fairly low but still carrying all throughout the silent room. "If possible, may Yukari-san be there as well?"

Honoka glanced at Yukari before setting down her utensils and clasping her hands together over her face. "I take it I upset you?" Minami nodded in reply. Honoka sighed deeply. "Okay. After lunch, then." She began eating once more.

Miyuki felt that the silence had grown heavier. So heavy, in fact, that the precarious balance they had might tip at any moment. Just a few more minutes and both Yukari and Honoka would have finished eating. Wouldn't be long...

**LUCKY STAR**

Minoru stopped in the middle of the canned-goods aisle and hurried towards the corner he just passed. "Aha!" He found Akira Kogami lying in wait, probably stalking him. "Look, Ms. Akira, I'm already buying you a present. You don't need to tail me while I'm shopping to see what it is."

"Yes I do," Akira replied stubbornly. "If you're gonna buy me something, it has to be something that I want or else you'd have wasted your money."

"I _know_ what you want. We've been together for three years. We're practically family. Why do you still assume I don't know what you want?"

"_Because what I want couldn't possible be bought at at fucking supermarket_," she said angrily. "_Now stop pissing me off or we'll end up causing a scene!_"

Minoru rolled his eyes. "Alright, whatever." He gestured for Akira to follow. "Come on, Ms. Akira. After this, we're heading to the frozen food section."

As he turned towards the canned-goods aisle once more, he could have sworn he saw a glimpse of a smile forming on Akira's face. It was probably nothing but if _wasn't_ nothing then the implications were... interesting... to say the least. He shelved that matter for later and focused on the canned-goods. Looked like canned beans went down in price that day.

**LUCKY STAR**

**So, after a month of literally not thinking about this story at all, I come back out of sorts and churn out a chapter I worked on for only three days. The writing style is a bit different and if the change isn't to your liking, I apologize.  
**

**Konata's two sections were one of the first scenes I finished writing for this chapter. I had it in my head that she'd treat a Christmas sale like a sort of military operation that require tactical planning and coordination. Granted, I myself have participated in such a mission and came out of this with basically the same amount of money Konata did, that is to say, just enough money for the commute home. Perhaps that's why it was the easiest to write.**

**Kagami's section was the next one finished. Aside from being the longest individual section, it's also the one that was filled with the most problems. When I started , I forgot that she was at the Takara estate at the end of the last chapter. So, when I realized my mistake, I began retroactively fixing things. Granted, the way I went about things was lazy - I should have wrote her journey back home, or at least wrote about her on the train, but whatever. In any case, I wanted to write happy Ayano and Kagami in this chapter. While what I wrote was definitely less than pure joy, it is, indeed, much more cheerful than what I normally write. I achieved my goal. I'll chalk this as a success.**

**Miyuki's two sections were interesting to me in that I have not written an upset Minami. Well, I mean, I _have_, just not one that's upset in the way she is right now. So this is very much a change in dynamic between the two girls. Not a big change, mind you, but it's still something that I found kinda nice.**

**Yutaka's section with the weird imagery is basically just me writing while desperately lacking sleep. I had a ton of unusual metaphors and figures of speech in that section that made no sense when I re-read it after a night of sleep. There was a lot that I ended up cutting. That baby-analogy and the two-Hiyoris are the only ones that didn't get removed.**

**And finally, Akira and Minoru's cute little interaction at the end was basically just self-indulgence. Minoru is my favorite male character, though there aren't that many of them in the first place, and Akira is a cute tsundere with dramatic mood swings that are usually funny when they aren't hurting people. Writing it made me happy.**

**Anyway, this has been a long end note, adding nearly 600 words to this chapter. I won't make this any longer than it already is. Until next chapter guys. See ya.  
**


	44. Discussions Derailed

**So, hello, it's been just under two weeks. Certainly a shorter wait than the chapter before but still longer than I'd like. I'd have preferred that this be out by last week, preferably on Tuesday, but as you can see, that just didn't happen. Oh well, not gonna ruin my day.**

**Normally when you speak with someone about a particular topic, you'd want to stay on said topic. Or perhaps you want to speak about any topic but the one you're talking about? Either way, it will always eventually lead to the same result. The discussion would end up derailed.**

**Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.**

**LUCKY STAR**

_Konata awoke that morning feeling a notable chill. Half of her blanket had fallen off the bed while the rest of it was barely even covering her small frame. It was also to be noted that she was not in her bed in her room but, weirdly enough, in Tsukasa's room. It had to be Tsukasa's. The youngest Hiiragi was the only person she knew who had that many stuffed animals. It was weird, though. She could have sworn Tsukasa had more. In any case, another question presented itself. Was Konata sleeping over? No. Impossible. All of Konata's own stuff was there as well - anime figurines in absurdly high shelves that probably meant they weren't to be touched any time soon, as opposed to the stuffed animals which were scattered around the room in easy to reach places. There was also stacks of manga on the table and some on the floor, all of which were volumes owned by Konata. Strange.  
_

_As Konata looked around the room, she felt weirdly light. Just being in the room had a pleasant sensation welling up from the bottom of her heart. Something about the whole scenario just made her feel happy for some reason._

_"Oh? You're up early." Konata turned towards the door to find Tsukasa smiling brightly. "Good morning, Konata," she greeted._

_Konata stared curiously at the youngest Hiiragi. She was wearing blue one-piece dress with a green apron over it, with her hair tied with a bandanna as opposed to her usual ribbon. She seemed to be a little taller, with a slightly more developed body. She also looked like she was a somewhat chubbier, yet it made her seem all the cuter - it was like she was made of marshmallows._

_As Konata kept staring, Tsukasa just giggled. "Aww, you're still half asleep. Alright, I'll give you a few more minutes. Breakfast will be waiting for you when you're ready." With that, the older looking Tsukasa left the room, leaving the door half open._

_Konata blinked, quietly wondering to herself if she were dreaming. After a moment's consideration, she decided that she didn't care. She got up and went downstairs. What awaited was something of similar weirdness that didn't seem to bother her that much._

_It was the very Hiiragi kitchen she had always known but it looked like there was a little bit of remodeling done. The room was a few square feet larger, and the table was now able to seat up to twelve people as opposed to just eight. Kagami sat at her usual spot, reading a something off her phone. She was wearing a grey pencil skirt and blazer, with glasses over her eyes, looking undoubtedly tired. Next to her sat Misao, now significantly more muscular than before - and not quite as cheerful looking, though her familiar fanged smile still adorned her face. She also still had her appetite which was apparent as she was wolfed down enough rice, meat, and vegetables for multiple people. Tadao Hiiragi sat opposite Kagami, similarly reading, this time a newspaper as opposed to a phone. He looked pretty much the same except for the hair, which was now mostly grey. Miki Hiiragi was currently helping Tsukasa with the dishes, also showing signs of aging. There was no mention of Matsuri and Inori though they still seemed to have their seats saved at the table._

_Overall, Konata was sufficiently convinced that this was the future. Everyone looked older and more serious and yet still seemed very much like themselves. Thus, as Konata took her seat, she didn't feel all that out of place._

_Tsukasa and Miki set down the dishes. "Breakfast is served," Tsukasa said. "I'm sorry for taking so long. I wasn't expecting _everyone_ to be eating this morning so I had to rush and make more than I normally do."_

_"It's fine, Tsukasa," Kagami said, waving her hand dismissively. "With the amount of food Misao eats, it isn't surprising that you'd have your work cut out for you trying to keep everyone fed. Especially since we have a freeloader mooching off us." With that last sentence, Kagami smirked at Konata._

_"Kagami," Tsukasa said, voice low in warning._

_"I'm just teasing. I know she's been in a tight spot for a long time now. Ain't that right, Konata?"_

_Konata smiled wryly. "Well, I don't know. Perhaps you can enlighten me?"_

_Kagami raised eyebrow. "You still asleep there, Konata?"_

_"Maybe I am. I seem to have lapses in my memory."_

_Kagami rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, short stuff. Let's just hope those _'lapses'_ don't affect your job prospects." With that, she began eating._

_"Hey, I've been trying to find a job, okay? They just don't want me," Konata found herself saying. "I did pretty well in high school, didn't I? And I did awesome in my first year of college. That has to count for something."_

_"My understanding is that continued employment has more to do with work ethic than grades," Kagami said between spoonfuls of food. "Besides, you don't really have to stress as much as you are to find a job. As annoying as you are, we still care about you. You can take as long as you need to find a job that fits. We'll still be here for you."_

_Konata opened her mouth to say something, but ended up just nodding. Regrettably, she began eating._

**LUCKY STAR**

Ko and Hiyori nodded thoughtfully as Konata finished her story. What were they supposed to say? "So... you dreamed you were married to Tsukasa-senpai and were living with her and Kagami-senpai?" Probably not that.

Konata lightly slapped the back of Hiyori's head. "That wasn't the point I was trying to make," she said with an annoying turning up of her nose.

"I know it wasn't, but it's gotta be important, right? It must mean you're serious about Tsukasa-senpai." Hiyori stopped to think for a bit. "Well, are you?" She asked.

Konata rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm serious about her. I am madly in love with Tsukasa Hiiragi. Now, shall we get back to the reason I told you that story in the first place?"

Ko waved her statement off dismissively. "Nah, there's no need. We got the gist of things. You basically don't wanna be a freeloader, right? You don't want to end up taking advantage of people?" Konata opened her mouth to say something but ended up just nodding. "Well, if that's what you're afraid of, then I don't see how that's gonna happen. As long as you don't take these blessings for granted, I don't think you have that much to be guilty about." Konata nodded again. "Besides, we're more interested in what you imagined the twins looking like when they're older. Tell me, what did you think of that older Tsukasa you dreamed up?"

"I..." Konata looked down, blushing as a smile appeared on her face. "I don't know, guys. She was still cute, but she was beautiful as well. I don't know what else to say."

"Well, senpai, consider it a good thing that you remember that dream so vividly. Your descriptions weren't that hard to spring board off of." Hiyori plopped her sketchbook in front of Konata. "Does this work?"

On the sketchbook was a realistic pencil drawing of Tsukasa. Just as Konata described, she looked older, with a longer yet at the same time rounder face. She still seemed to have the same kind eyes she always had. Konata stared in awe.

"Hiyori, this looks amazing."

After a few minutes of letting the bluenette gaze at the page, Hiyori tapped Konata's shoulder. "You can have the page, or I can scan it and paint it digitally if you want. That'd cost you extra, though."

Konata shook her head. "I'll just take it as it is."

Hiyori smiled and carefully tore the page out of her sketchbook. "How accurate was it to the one in your dream."

"It's pretty accurate, actually," Konata said quietly as the page was handed to her. She gingerly slipped it into one of the large artbooks that she had bought earlier so as to keep it from getting folds or wrinkles. "Thank you, Hiyori."

"No problem, senpai. I'm glad you like it."

The three otaku let the silence linger, content to just sip their drinks until they finished. Eventually they did and left the cafe. They split up to do what they planned to do for the rest of their respective days.

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami stayed in the living room, patiently awaiting the rest of her family to finish lunch. She was seated on one of the two-person couches that were to the side of a large coffee table. She sat up straight, hands placed over her lap in the traditional lady-like manner. She was the image of calm and collectedness. Of course, that was just a mask she wore. Inside, her mind was buzzing with anxiety. It threatened to overwhelm her.

The wait would not be long. At most, she'd have to wait ten minutes. But even still, in her state, it might as well have been an hour. Every second ticked by in tense slow motion. It was like the entire world had been submerged in water - it didn't help that she felt out of breath despite not moving an inch for a while now. Or perhaps it was just a mere moment? She could hardly tell anymore.

It must be a result of her nervousness, she thought to herself. Unfortunately, that knowledge did nothing to ease her worries. And she doubted if she could snap herself out of it. And those doubts were confirmed when she thought up a long list of reasons of why she didn't need to worry. It didn't work.

Thus, she sat quietly, holding tightly to her hands, barely keeping them from shaking. The clock ticked on

Miyuki was the first to arrive, taking a seat on the couch next to Minami. She barely noticed Miyuki's presence. When Miyuki put her hand on the mint haired girl's shoulder, said girl recoiled. "It's me," Miyuki said quickly. "It's me," she repeated in a calmer, more controlled voice. Minami eventually relaxed her shoulders.

"I'm a little nervous," Minami said shakily. "I'm starting to have doubts about whether I should have started this in the first place."

"I don't know what you're planning, Minami," Miyuki said. "And since I don't know, I can't really advise you on whether or not you _'should'_ have."

Minami lowered her head guiltily, debating on whether she had enough time to tell Miyuki before their mothers arrived. She had locked herself in her room for most of the morning asking herself various questions and only found out the answer to said questions right as Miyuki arrived to get her to eat lunch. Granted, Miyuki should have been there when Minami was still trying to figure things out - she would have come to the same conclusions she came to much earlier and would most likely not even feel as nervous as she felt - but she had been far too upset to allow that. By the time she was calm enough to actually figure out why she was upset in the first place, she had resolved herself to doing it alone, shutting out literally all possible distractions. But really, Miyuki needed to know. Minami just wish she had enough time to tell her. As it stood, they had minutes - possibly less - before the two mothers arrived. Miyuki needed to know, but Minami would not have the chance to tell her.

"Well, you're right. We don't have that much time. I suppose I'll just have to trust your judgement." Miyuki smiled reassuringly and gave Minami's shoulder a brief squeeze. "No need to worry, Minami. I'll have your back."

Minami felt a small smile tug at her lips and a feeling of warmth well up inside of her that soothed her twitchy nerves. The urge to pull Miyuki into a hug was strong but decided it would be best if she held off. Instead, she gave Miyuki a meaningful smile. "Thank you, nee-san."

Miyuki nodded slowly, returning the smile. The two waited together.

Less than two minutes passed before Yukari and Honoka arrived. The two sat on the two-person couch across the table from Minami and Miyuki, practically mirroring to two daughters in their seating. Minami noticed this, but didn't find it all that important. It did seem to pique Miyuki's interest, though. No doubt, Minami was going to hear more of it when the two reconvene later.

"Well, we're here," Honoka said. "Whatever you wish to say, we're going to listen."

Minami nodded, taking a deep breath to steel herself. She opened her mouth to speak, hoping her voice wouldn't fail her.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice-"

"It helps that the venue was the next room," Honoka cut cheekily. Minami ignored her.

"And I'd also like to apologize in advance. What I am about to say is rather... unpleasant," Minami said, pausing briefly to find the appropriate word and wincing as said word was uttered. "I want to explain myself in the best way I can so I ask that I not be interrupted. Please bear with me."

Minami paused, waiting for a reply. When she didn't get one, she continued.

"A little under six months ago, I believe my mother began a needlessly elaborate and altogether asinine plot to get her feelings noticed and ultimately reciprocated by Yukari-san. It involved countless offhand comments and passive-aggressive actions that only served to upset Yukari-san and in turn upset everyone else." Minami felt a twinge of satisfaction rise up inside her when she saw her mother wince. Said satisfaction was evened out by the feeling of guilt that seemed to push down with an equal amount of force. She ignored those feelings.

"In any case, that plot eventually fell apart and mother decided that it would be best if she were direct and spoke of her love outright." Minami scowled, knowing full well what her next word would do. "Of course, this plan worked. One might wonder why she wasn't direct in the first place." There was a certain bitterness in those last words.

As Honoka looked guiltily down at the ground and Yukari quietly grit her teeth, Minami felt Miyuki's stare on her. She glanced to the side and saw the pinkette's stern look. Minami closed her eyes slowly. She had finally figured it out, it seemed - and she didn't look all that pleased about it. She was about to get a lecture for sure. And to think Miyuki said she had Minami's back on this.

"Minami, please do not waste our time."

To Minami's surprise, it was not Miyuki's voice that spoke but Yukari's. Minami opened her eyes and turned to the older pinkette.

"I'm sorry I was so mean to you for those three months, I really am, but please don't take this out on Honoka." As Yukari said this, Minami's stoic glare remained trained on her. To Yukari's credit, she did not falter - not even a little. "She was not the one at fault. She-"

"Mother," Miyuki said, cutting Yukari off. "Let them have this. We're here because we were involved, but this is ultimately something between Minami and Honoka Iwasaki. Neither of us have the right."

Yukari stood. "Yes we do-"

"Yukari," Honoka said sharply. She raised her head and not even looking at the older Takara as she stared impassively at Minami. "I'd like to know what my daughter wants to say. I ask you to indulge us."

Minami felt a chill run up her spine. There had been very few times in her life that Honoka had gotten mad. And even when she wasn't really angry and only pretending - like she was right then - she was still unbelievably intimidating. Yukari's voice died in her mouth almost immediately as she stood there motionless, only to slowly sit back down.

"Please continue," Honoka said, looking back down, voice sounding considerably softer than before.

Minami let the silence hang in the air for a moment while she found her voice. "I... Anyway. Moving on," she began again, faltering somewhat. "Earlier this morning, you made a provocative comment that induced an undesirable result. Miyuki called you out on it and you apologized. I'm doing the very same thing right now by calling you out on what you did all those months ago."

"So..." Honoka looked up at Minami. "You're saying..."

"Yes," Minami said, nodding. "Apologize."

Honoka frowned. "You do understand that I am not solely responsible for that, yes?"

"I am well aware."

"You're _that_ upset about this?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I am."

Honoka stared at Minami, not speaking, not looking away, and not making any facial expression whatsoever. Minami couldn't read her. And she probably couldn't read Minami either because Minami had no doubt that they both were not sure what to feel about the situation they were in. There was a certain amount of tension and both of them were obviously upset, but they slowly came to something of an understanding as they stared at each other. Even as Honoka looked down and Minami closed her eyes, breaking eye contact, they knew what would happen next.

"I'd also like to call _you_ out," Honoka said softly, a small smile forming on her face. "I believe your words were _'needlessly elaborate'_, correct?"

Minami chuckled. "I find the irony amusing. Don't you?"

Honoka looked up. "I suppose you're right," she said. "I'm sorry, Minami. I was not aware that it hurt you as much as it did."

"I forgive you. An apology was all I wanted and I'm glad you gave it."

Yukari stood. "Did you seriously just bring us together for _that_?"

Minami turned to Yukari. "Yes," she said almost immediately.

"But... but... that's so petty."

Yukari's words were met with a blank stare from Minami, a raised eyebrow from Miyuki, and a smirk from Honoka. "You're one to talk," Honoka said teasingly. "We were literally just talking about how my teasing made you so romantically frustrated that you took it out on Minami and Yutaka." This caused Yukari to blush and shrink back, further causing Honoka to giggle in amusement.

"Well, as pointless as this whole meeting was, I suppose we did learn a few things of interest," Miyuki said smiling cheerfully. "For one, we know who is the 'top' in our mother's relationship, so to speak - the one whose words are powerful enough to give one goosebumps." This time it was Honoka who shrunk in embarrassment.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Honoka said awkwardly. "I mean, perhaps in every other occasion that is the case, but in bed..."

With that, Miyuki bit her lip, most likely in regret for bringing up the topic. Yukari was in a similar state, burying her face in her hands. "H-honoka, stop telling them! You're being a meanie!"

"But it's the truth," Honoka muttered awkwardly.

Minami closed her eyes as conversation began. She was glad she finally had that off her chest. A certain weight seemed to have lifted off her, letting her breath a little easier. She had to wonder why she felt so nervous at the start. As she was well aware, it made no logical sense for her to feel the way that she did. In any case, it didn't really matter. All that mattered was that she was no longer upset over events long past.

And to think, she hadn't even realized she was still upset about that and only found because of Kagami. She could have gone her whole life not realizing it. All things considered, it probably would have gotten worse if she had let it persist. Really, it was a blessing that Kagami had come that morning. If anything, at least it led to an interesting start of their day. And for that, Minami was grateful.

_Thank you senpai. I'll make sure you know of my appreciation someday soon._

**LUCKY STAR**

"Uhhhh! It's so damn cold, I hate it!"

Kagami, Ayano, and Misao found themselves walking towards the station, huddled together for warmth. Even with three layers, they just couldn't keep the cold at bay. Kagami, unsurprisingly, was very vocal about her discomfort, though Misao and Ayano made occasional complaints as well.

One had to wonder why they'd leave the warmth and comfort of the Hiiragi residence in the first place. Of course the reason was less than justified. One could say they were forced to do so by the whims of a persistent Saharan cat whose top speed surpassed that of most mammals. Yes indeed, Misao had gotten bored of being indoors and begged that they go out to do something. Being that Misao was the human equivalent to an oversized kitten, Kagami and Ayano eventually caved in to her constant complaints of persuasion. They were sure that if Misao were any less adorable, not a single square inch of skin on their bodies would endure the cold for her. Alas, that was not the case, and thus, they walked.

"Kagamiiiiii!"

Their self-inflicted torture by temperature was pushed to the back of their minds when a small blue blur boosted into them with arms outstretched. "Ouff-What the hell!?" Kagami found herself on the ground, rubbing cheeks with a blue haired midget. "Okay, Konata, I'm glad to see you too. Please get off of me."

With a smirk, Konata jumped off and helped Kagami to her feet. "I was on my way to visit Tsukasa again." She then turned to Misao and Ayano, who were respectively grinning widely and smiling in amusement. "And you three are going out, it seems."

Kagami rolled her eyes. "We aren't particularly pleased about it."

Ayano sweatdropped. "It was Misao's idea. We're sorta just along for the ride."

Konata smirked at Misao to which Misao replied with a laugh. "Learned from the best," Misao said, causing Konata smile proudly.

"Well, it looks like you guys have your date and I undoubtedly have mine." Konata started walking in the direction Kagami and company came from. "I'd hate to keep my darling waiting. See ya!" With a lazy salute, Konata continued on her way.

In the silence that followed, Ayano was the first to speak. "She looks really happy," she noted.

Kagami smiled sadly. "Yeah," she muttered wistfully. "That she is..." As Kagami trailed off, Misao put her elbow on her shoulder, smirking. "What is it?"

Misao said nothing, merely smiling and shaking her head. She gestured for them to follow. "C'mon. I suddenly have an idea for what we're gonna do."

With that, the three of them kept walking towards the station, unsure where Misao was taking them.

**LUCKY STAR**

Sojiro sat at the dinner table, leafing through his unfinished novel manuscripts.

Even with his new job, he still very much wanted to continue writing. His problem was looking for a new publisher. His works had never been popular. At most, his works would get a cult following, and at least, a small number of people would read it and say they enjoyed it. That was probably the reason his old publishing company went under. Most of the works they published were of similar levels of success - or perhaps the more accurate term was similar levels of failure. He'd rather say the former. He liked to think his many many novels with small following amounted to at least some accomplishment. It managed to sustain him and his daughter - as well as their very expensive hobby - for nearly eight years after all. Still, even if he made money before, it didn't mean he was making money now.

With a sigh, he flipped his manuscripts closed. No use ruminating over it now. There were certain things of greater importance that were on his mind.

His sister Yuki had called earlier. Due to some scheduling mishaps and an amount of luck that bordered on the absurd, Yuki Kobayakawa would be arriving close to four hours earlier that was originally planned. As such, Sojiro could not spend the afternoon sleeping and instead was forced to wake up so he could pick Yuki up. Luckily, Yui had already arrived while he was asleep so he didn't need to commute.

"I just called Minami," Yui said as she entered the kitchen. "She's on her way. The moment she arrives, we're free to leave."

Sojiro smiled. "That's great. How's Yutaka?"

Yui shrugged. "Eh, still asleep. You know what's she's like when she gets these sudden fevers. If it isn't something serious, she'll be fine by then end of day. If it is... well..." She didn't finished that sentence.

Sojiro nodded, doing his best to ignore that last part. In any case they couldn't just leave Yutaka. It was why they called Minami. They could pick up Yuki while Minami watched over Yutaka. Besides, Yuki had been saying for a long time that she wanted to meet Yutaka's girlfriend. This was a good a chance as ever.

"Hey, uncle, you had lunch yet?" Yui asked as she opened the fridge, eyeing one of the lunch boxes.

"Actually..." Sojiro winced, suddenly aware of his hunger. "No. I haven't." It was two in the afternoon. He fell asleep some time before eleven. He had slept through lunch time.

Yui looked back at Sojiro and smirked. "Uncle, you gotta remember to eat. Remember the _last time_ you starved yourself?"

Sojiro rolled his eyes. "Yes, I still remember the noodle incident. There is no way I'd forget that. Just pick a box and heat it. Whatever Konata made, it's sure to be delicious."

Yui smiled. "Is it okay if I take some for myself?"

"By all means."

With that Yui took two boxes and opened one, placing it in the microwave. The other she set on the table, next in queue for heating. With a couple presses, the low drone of the microwave filled the room. Yui watched the lunch box turn while Sojiro flipped through his manuscripts once more.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Well, that was sorta filler in a way, wasn't it?**

**This arc is taking me a long time. So many in-betweens that I need to write that are simultaneously a climax-resolution as well as buildup for the next chapter. And what makes me really mad is that, with each successive chapter in this arc, I have less ideas of what events would make sense moving forward. And this arc is originally planned to last until new years? Yeah, no. Not gonna happen. I'll have to rework it. Not having another Festival arc.**

**Anyway, author's frustration aside, let me talk about this chapter.**

**Konata's two sections were fun to write. The dream sequence because it's what I eventually want to happen to those characters if everything doesn't go to shit in the next few years - except for the part where Konata is a NEET trying to get a job. The cafe scene because the three-otaku dynamic really hasn't been done since Hiyori and Patricia were dating - and weren't yet a toxic mess of a relationship. Overall, I really like how it played out.**

**Minami's section was strange in that I was aware that it would end in a cop-out but still wanted it to seem serious. Which is why I wrote in Minami's nervousness. I stressed the fact that she had no justifiable reason to be nervous. Granted, Honoka pretending to get angry _was_ something to be nervous about. It wasn't really part of the plan but the result was hilarious and brought a good amount of texture to the two adults' personality and character.**

**Kagami's section is as tacked on as it felt and was ****really only there to facilitate the next chapter. Still, it was some of the most fun I've had writing this chapter. Something about the figures of speech in it just really amuses me.**

**And finally, there's Sojiro's section, which is, again, another short sequence primarily focused on developing Sojiro but also sets up what happens in the next chapter. Sojiro being a writer was a plot point during the Storm and Festival arc but wasn't really elaborated on other than the fact that he wasn't one anymore. I wanted to address that. Also, in terms of Yuki Kobayakawa, we've seen details here and there. Not entirely sure how I plan to characterize her. She is, despite being an actual canon character, more or less an OC much in the same vein of Masaru. It's just that this time, she has an actual name as opposed to one I made up.**

**So, this has been another long end note - shorter than last time, but still a large block of text. I apologize for that. I'll let this be the end. Until next chapter, everyone. See you.**


	45. Comings and Goings

**Ho ho ho, I am so freakin' late. So, this chapter was supposed to come out on Christmas day, as was a new chapter of _Unrelated Moments_, but it seems I didn't get to do that. Oh well. Not gonna ruin my day - and my day has been quite good. Anyway,  
**

**This chapter is very much like that last. It, of course, has the _comings and goings_ of our various characters, with an emphasis on _coming_ and _going_. How you interpret that, however, is up to you. Is it a place or a time, and is it coming from or going to? Well, read and find out.**

**Enjoy if you can - and if not, I apologize**

**LUCKY STAR**

Nanako Kuroi sat at a corner booth in a family restaurant. Across the table sat an relaxed and cheery Fuyuki Amahara and next to her was a bored and irritable Hikaru Sakuraba. Nanako scratched her cheeks at her co-worker's stares.

"Kuroi, tell me," Hikaru growled. "Why are we here, entertaining your notion of a good time, when we could be doing something exponentially more fun with our significant others, as is usually the case on Chrismas eve?"

The dry and irritated question was met with the rolling of eyes by Nanako. "_Well_, Sakuraba," Nanako began. "That is because you _don't_ have something exponentially more fun to do with your significant other." She then added, gesturing to Fuyuki, "Which is the very same reason Amahara is here as well."

Hikaru scowled and Fuyuki chuckled. "You have to admit it, Hikaru. She _does_ have a point." Hikaru glanced at Fuyuki before glowering in admission.

"There's also the fact that _I_ don't have a significant other to do exponentially more fun things with but that's beside the point," Nanako added bitterly. "Anyway!" She slammed down three amusement park tickets. "The other day, I was part of a raffle. Got these as prizes."

Hikaru stared at the tickets, unamused. "Not interested," she said immediately.

Fuyuki also started at the tickets, looking considerably more amused that Hikaru - though that honestly wasn't hard to pull off. "Oh, sounds interesting. I'll join."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow at the school nurse. "You can't be serious."

"C'mon, Hikaru. Let's go. It'll be fun!"

"Yeah, Hikaru," Nanako teased. "The missus is begging here."

Hikaru glared at Nanako in annoyance. "Firstly, we are not on first name terms," she growled venomously. "Secondly, Fuyuki and I are not married - same-sex marriage is illegal in Japan."

Nanako laughed. "You totally _would_ be married if it _were_ legal, though," she joked. "In any case, sorry about the name thing - Didn't mean to offend. Seriously though. I need people to come with me."

"How about you ask your _other_ friends?"

Nanako scratched the back of her head. "Er, well, I did," she muttered. "Yui and Sojiro had plans and it'd feel weird asking Konata or one of my students, so..."

"And you have no other friends?"

"No one I met in real life at least."

Hikaru stared at Nanako in confused irritation. "Okay, what was _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Online friends," Nanako clarified. "Haven't met a lot of them, and the ones I _have_ met live really far away."

"So you mean to say is: You have no friends..." Hikaru removed her glasses and began massaging the bridge of her nose. "You know what? Fine. Nanako Kuroi, you are the most pitiable woman I have ever met. You win. I'll go with you to this amusement park."

"Excellent," Nanako said with a fanged grin. "Let's get going, then. I'll be waiting outside" With that, she stood and left.

Hikaru let her face fall onto the table, cushioning the impact with her arms. "Why did I let her do that?" Hikaru asked dryly.

"Because Kuroi pushed the right buttons to make you," Fuyuki said cheekily, patting Hikaru on the back. "Besides, you also wanted to be with me today so you compromised."

"You found that entire scene funny, didn't you?"

"Oh, more than you know. I could barely contain myself." Fuyuki giggled. "Well, let's not keep her waiting." She stood and offered a hand.

Hikaru reluctantly took said hand and stood as well. They rejoined Nanako shortly after.

**LUCKY STAR**

Tsukasa found herself wondering why she and Konata were in their current position. One could say that said position was somewhat compromising, and though she did not know the exact meaning of that term, she knew she was embarrassed about it.

Tsukasa sat on her bed, reclined over her pillows while Konata sat on her lap, holding tightly to the arm Tsukasa wrapped around her. It was a weird yet comfortable hug that set Tsukasa's heart racing at first but eventually gave her a feeling of pleasant serenity. She wasn't quite sure what was to be embarrassed about - Konata sat on Tsukasa's lap all the time. Maybe it was because they were alone. In her room. On the bed. And Tsukasa could feel Konata's breathing as her back pressed against her chest. And feel small tugs on her sleeve by Konata's fingers. Okay maybe there was a reason to get mildly flustered by the situation, now that she thought about it.

Konata was recounting her dream for the second time that day while Tsukasa played with the bluenette's hair. The dream wasn't anything as unpleasant as Konata was making it out to be. In fact, it made Tsukasa undoubtedly happy. The thought that Konata wanted to someday marry and move in with her brought her to the highest of highs. She even debated to herself whether it would be best to forgo her ribbon and wear a bandanna instead. She had decided against it in the end but she _did_ wonder what it would look like. She made sure the remember to try it out some time.

Eventually, however, the story seemed to peak in terms of how pleasant it seemed and everything started going downhill. It began with Kagami, who, in Konata's dream, looked to be a successful businesswoman - or perhaps a lawyer? Tsukasa wasn't sure from just the description - and Misao who also seemed to be living with them. From what she was told, it made the most logical sense that they'd end up the way they did in Konata's dream. Tsukasa wondered whether the two were married as well, but that really wasn't what Konata payed attention to.

The conversation she had with Kagami seemed normal to Tsukasa and yet Konata seemed to be so fixated on it. When Tsukasa asked for clarification, Konata's answer was not necessarily one she liked.

"I was a free loader, basically," Konata said, hugging Tsukasa tighter. "It just didn't sit well with me, Tsukasa. I was a dead weight even though I was good enough to take care of myself. That can't happen, Tsukasa. It can't..."

Tsukasa had to note how controlled Konata's voice seemed to be. To anyone else, she might have even sounded apathetic but Tsukasa knew she was anything but. _It must bother her a lot,_ Tsukasa thought. She held the bluenette closer.

"You know," Tsukasa muttered. "I actually used to think that." She paused, waiting for a response. When Konata made no comment, she reluctantly continued. "Just a few months ago, I thought exactly what you're thinking right now - that I'll end up slowing everyone down. I never really payed attention to it. Whenever I thought about it too much, I'd end up getting really sad and I didn't like that.

"Back then, there wasn't really anything all that special about me. I was good at housework and cooking, so I guess I'd make for a good housewife. That's what I would always tell myself. I'd find someone who can provide for me and live off of them. I'd make sure they were happy while we were together. That was the only way I could think of that would work out for me. Even now, I sorta still think that.

"But when I imagined what my life would be before I found that someone to provide for me, I always drew a blank. At most, I'd think of Kagami and helping her with chores and errands she might not be able to do, but in the end, I was still nothing on my own. There's no such thing as a professional housewife. I asked Miyuki about it and she said so. The closest think she could think of was a nursemaid or caretaker for the eldery and disabled - I'm not even sure what that last one means. I'd be jobless, living off of my sisters with no real purpose other than to help around the house.

"I suppose that's still something, but it's not what I want. Honestly, I don't know what I want. I'm still thinking on it to this day. When we got our career form, I wrote 'Chef' because I know I'm good at cooking but I don't really want to be one. When the college entrance exams came, I chose a nearby university because it was close and had a decent reputation but I still don't know the right program to pick. I don't know what I want. I don't know what I'm doing.

"But I'm still doing something."

Tsukasa smiled sadly, hugging Konata tighter. "I don't let it bother me that much, I guess. Same with Kagami. She doesn't look it, but she's about as nervous about her future as we are. Her depression has been weighing her down for almost half a year now. She _is_ getting better but she's afraid of what might happen if she takes her depression to college. Honestly, I'm scared about that too. We don't know what's gonna happen. We just know that we're going to be helping each other along the way."

Konata said nothing, though Tsukasa was sure she saw a tear make its way down Konata's cheek. Tsukasa chuckled softly, stroking her girl friend's hair. "You can look at it in whatever way you like, Konata. If you ever find yourself in the same place you were in your dream then know that we're going to be helping. It may seem like you're a dead weight, but unless you're doing nothing, you're _not_ a dead weight. I believe you can help yourself, Konata, and from what you told me, you believe that as well. You just have to keep trying. I'll be with you every step of the way. We all will."

With that final line, Tsukasa closed her eyes, letting the silence emphasize her point. Konata still had no response. And Tsukasa didn't need one. She could already sense Konata's mood lightening.

"No man is an island," Konata quoted. "I read in a manga somewhere - a lot of manga, actually - that doing things alone isn't always the right way to do things. I guess that's something to think about..."

They stayed in silence for a time.

**LUCKY STAR**

The drive to the station did not take long. Yui's driving, while still falling within city traffic laws, was still skirting the fringes of legality. She seemed intent on driving as fast as possible without hitting other cars or going past the speed limit which meant that she was swerving a good deal to try and pass by slower cars and avoid stop lights. Being a traffic cop, she seemed to be quite efficient at real-time route planning, somehow driving all the way to the station without ever going under 20 kilometers per hour. It could have been considered quite an accomplishment if it weren't for the fact that Sojiro was still reeling from the near-constant threat of a car crashes of varying lethality. They never did crash, but dammit, they came way too close way too many times.

Sojiro stood at the platform, leaning on the wall while Yui sat on the seat next to him. Yuki would arrive within thirty minutes if there weren't any complications while she was en-route. Considering they were dealing with the Japanese railway system, it would be very unlikely that she'd arrive late. At the very least, she'd still arrive several hours early regardless of any problems popping up.

Sojiro sighed, his breath producing a small wisp of vapor. "She should be arriving soon," he muttered. "How long has it been since we last saw each other? What, three years? Maybe more?"

"Almost exactly three years, uncle. Last time we were together was New Years eve, three years ago." Yui smiled. "If I remember correctly, my hubby and I only just got married back then."

"Hmm. Speaking of Narumi, you haven't been talking about him for a while now. Something come up?"

"Uncle, the only real time I talk about him is when I complain that he's never there and almost always he suddenly calls saying he's home," Yui explained. "It took me a long time but eventually I learned to just trust that he'd come back whenever I missed him." She smiled. "Hasn't failed me since."

Sojiro smirked. "Well ain't that sweet. Then again, I can see how this'd work for you. You always _did_ hate being doted on."

"And you, on the other hand, _loved_ doting on me." Yui frowned and then added, "And your sister. And your wife. And your daughter. And... well maybe not her. You know, it's kinda amazing that you don't dote on Yu-chan as well."

Sojiro shrugged. "What can I say, I love my family. As for Yu-chan, well I get the feeling she'd appreciate my kind of doting a little less than you would."

Yui winced, remembering. "Yeah, your hugs and cuddles can get a little painful at times. It's a wonder that Kanata put up with all that."

Sojiro frowned. "Give her some credit, she was stronger than she looked. She also packed one mean left hook."

Yui laughed. "I can imagine. That must be where Konata got all her strength. It couldn't be from her father. He was a weakling. A total nerd."

"Hey, I'm a lover, not a fighter. Besides, I'm plenty strong. I just never used my strength for anything other than getting through crowds during conventions."

Yui smiled. "Like I said, a nerd."

Sojiro opened his mouth to retort but was stopped when he heard the train approaching. Less than fifteen minutes since they left the house and already the person they were picking up had arrived. Not really surprising nor all that impressive, but Sojiro was still grateful. His back-and-forths with Yui tended to end with them having an insult contest. They'd trade mild profanity for a while but eventually would run out of things to say, causing the conversation to devolve into awkward silence as they thought up more insults. Thus, he was glad Yuki had arrived when she did. She had saved them the extremely slow few minutes of suffering they were about to endure.

Yui ran up to her and hugged her while Sojiro merely smiled and waved. "Long time no see, Yuki," he said. "Missed you."

**LUCKY STAR**

As Minami finished recounting her day to Yutaka, the red head giggled weakly. Minami responded with a quizzical looked that Yutaka answered with another giggle. Minami frowned and asked why she was laughing.

"Honoka-san actually apologized to us on the day you found out about her and Yukari-san being together," Yutaka said. "Don't you remember? I even said that they weren't forgiven."

Minami blinked, remembering. Honoka had in fact apologized that day. How could Minami forget that? Granted, she planned to forgive her mother anyway, but still. That just made her entire scene all the more pointless than it already was.

"Maybe you just didn't forgive her back then?" Yutaka suggested. "I don't feel as bad about that whole thing anymore so I can probably forgive them now. It might be the same thing with you."

Minami's eyes narrowed. _Perhaps,_ she thought. _Perhaps not._ Now that she thought about it, it was a very plausible cause. While she did feel better about everything ever since they apologized, she never did say she forgave them. She wasn't really someone who pointed out whatever negative emotion she felt at any given moment - she just wasn't that kind of person. In fact, she very much disliked negative emotions in general, though that wasn't really special. Thus, it made perfect sense that she'd rather ignore whatever negatives she felt and focus on the positive. The problem was that ignoring one's feelings wasn't necessarily the correct course of action regardless of the circumstances, much in the same way that Yukari ineffectively pretending she wasn't upset over Honoka's teasing made the people around her even more uncomfortable than they would be if she were actually outwardly upset.

Minami's refusal to forgive was as much the same as Yutaka's but with one major difference. Yutaka made a big deal of it whereas Minami did not even notice it - and if she did notice, she ignored it to the point of delusion. The feeling had grown inside her without her knowing until, finally, something brought it up to the surface.

"What you wanted to say was simple and straight forward," Yutaka said, amused. "You just said it in the least straight forward way possible." Taking a short breath, she closed her eyes, giggling softly. "That's what's always been so cute about you"

Minami smiled wryly. True, she had trouble interacting with people, though it rarely showed in casual conversation - she was at least competent enough in small talk that she could play off her difficulties as a character quirk. Anything that required a deeper level of communication was restricted to those who could read her movements in correlation to what she said - and even then, she still had some difficulty.

She supposed the reason she felt so nervous when she enacted that unnecessarily elaborate plan to forgive her mother was caused by this. Deep down, she must have known how foolish she was being but she didn't know what else she could do. There was a multitude of options she could have taken, but none of them were considered because she couldn't do any of them - not without meeting difficulties that exceeded the difficulty of what she _did_ do. It just wouldn't work for her. So she took the path of least resistance - an asinine plot that could have easily been solved by being direct.

Minami held in a laugh. Oh how similar she was to her mother. The irony was so thick she could drown in it.

And drown in it, she did. She drank it all in. She knew what she did and there was no denying it. No use being upset now. Instead, she smiled, gingerly stroking Yutaka's cheek. It was warm as her fever had only gone down by a fraction of a degree since Minami arrived. Still, she was steadily getting better.

Minami leaned forward and gave Yutaka a peck on the lips. "Thank you for showing me what I could not see on my own," she whispered. With that, she let Yutaka sleep.

**LUCKY STAR**

Ayano, Kagami, and Misao had taken the train for a good distance. They dropped off at a station maybe three towns over and would continue by bus to their destination. It was a surprisingly easy and quick ride, though the crowds were particularly thick at the bus stop they were currently waiting at. By the time the bus arrived, the place was pretty much packed.

All but four seats were taken - one near the front, another in the very back, and two in the middle row on the left side of the bus. This caused a small argument between Kagami and Ayano about who would sit where but their decision was made when Misao announced that she'd be taking the seat at the back. Thus, they sat in the middle, with Kagami taking the window seat.

As the bus started moving, she felt a twinge of self-disappointment. Looking back, the reason she and Ayano had the argument in the first place was because neither of them wanted the other to sit alone, though their contexts were different. Ayano argued that Kagami should have sat with Misao because of the simple fact that they were dating. Kagami on the other hand was under the impression that she's had enough time with Misao so someone else should get a turn. Thinking back, her reasoning didn'didn't sit well with her.

_I was making it out like Misao was my possession,_ she thought, frowning. _Well this is just great. I sounded so entitled back there. And to think that a few months ago I was stressing out about exactly this_. _She's not a thing that I can just lend to someone. She's a living breathing person. And yet I wanted to just give her away. I never believed that I deserved her and this just further confirms-_

Kagami caught herself and stopped. She then sighed as she tried to calm down. _You're not using her,_ she said to herself. _She's not a thing. She has a mind of her own. She stays with you because she wants to be. Relax._ She took a deep breath. _Relax..._

When Kagami opened her eyes, Ayano was looking at her worriedly. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Kagami smiled tirely. "I'm fine - just took a bit of a dip but I pulled out of it alright."

Ayano nodded, making no immediate comment. But the look on her face - Kagami could tell there was a question coming. Thus, she just watched the world go by out the window, waiting for the question to be asked. A moment passed before it came.

"Why'd you volunteer to sit at the back?" Ayano asked.

Kagami closed her eyes. "Entitlement," she answered cryptically.

Ayano was quick to catch Kagami's meaning and she frowned soon after. "You thought I'd like to spend time with Misao so you wanted to lend her to me."

Kagami suppressed an urge to wince. It hurt but it was the truth. Ayano was pretty much spot on with that explanation of her answer. Kagami opened her eyes and gave Ayano a guilty half-smile.

Ayano's expression softened. "Well, I suppose that's better than what Misao was worried about." When Kagami raised her eyebrows in question, Ayano explained.

"Before Misao headed to the back, she told me to keep an eye on you. 'I'm a little worried about the way she started that argument,' she said. 'Kagami tends to come to really bad conclusions about things,' she said. She didn't give anything more exact than that but I know her well enough to tell that she was prepared for the worst."

Kagami felt the temperature drop as something cold and dark began crawling up inside of her. _She stays because she wants to. She stays because she wants to._ She repeated that to herself even as she came to realize the implications of Ayano's words.

"Take deep breaths, Kagami. Breathe. Breathe," Ayano said in a soothing voice. "You're getting better. You know that and Misao knows that. She knows you're trying really hard. But slip-ups happen. She just wants to make sure you're okay whenever they do." She then put her hand over Kagami's shoulder and pulled the pony-tailed girl into a soft embrace. "I want you to be okay too."

Kagami swallowed. "R-right... sorry." Her voice was shaky.

"If I remember correctly, your words were 'Ayano, you can sit with Misao. I think I'll just sit alone,' right?" Kagami's head was still pressed against Ayano's shoulder but she nodded slightly. "What do you think Misao thought you meant by that?"

"I-I... don't know," Kagami said. She thought for a bit. "Maybe... she... she..."

"Maybe she thought you didn't want to spend time with her?" Ayano suggested.

Kagami pulled out of the hug. "What? N-no! W-why would you say that?" She scowled. "Then again, it's... it's still a possibility..."

"Kagami we know that's not her real reason. Besides, we can always just ask her."

"I... Just... Okay... okay..." With every word, Kagami felt tireder and tireder, until that forth and final word. She then found herself once again in the arms of Ayano. "Sorry," she said.

"It's fine," Ayano said, petting Kagami on the head. "Emotional outburst can take a lot out of someone - especially if they're trying to downplay it so they wouldn't cause a scene."

"We'll ask her about it when we reach our stop. Just rest for now."

"Okay..." Kagami closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep.

**LUCKY STAR**

Minoru stood in the cold sidewalk, waiting patiently as Akira gave a random otaku her autograph. The smile on her face when she heard the words 'can I have your autograph' was nothing short of pure excited joy. It warmed Minoru's heart seeing Akira so happy.

"Well, that was a certainly a pleasant surprise," he said as Akira returned. "How do you feel."

Akira looked down and closed her eyes, still smiling. "I don't know," she said shakily. "It feels nice, but... I don't know what to say. It's been a long time since a fan last asked for my autograph. Really, it's been a long time since I had any sort of interaction with my fans in general. I kinda miss it, to be honest."

Minoru smiled as well. "Maybe you'll get another chance soon. After all, Lucky Channel is still pretty popular, even after all these years. Who knows, right?"

Akira nodded and the two of them continued on to Akira's apartment.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Maligayang Pasko at masayang Bagong Taon - Merry Christmas and happy New Year, every one.  
**

**It's certainly been a great year for this fic. Not better than last year, unfortunately (a little over 50k words as opposed to the 170k of the year prior) but still pretty substantial. Besides, I've written a higher total amount of words across all my stories than I did last year.**

**Anyway, on to my thoughts on this chapter.**

**The teachers are cute. I wanted to write these characters together for a long time. Granted, there have been plenty of opportunities for me to do so - teacher's lounge/faculty room hijinks maybe? Expect them more in the future.**

**Konata and Tsukasa's section is a response to to the cop-out of last chapter. What, did you really think she'd be okay with just a simple dismissive hand wave by an underclassman? Fears like these can't be overcome in a single conversation and Konata's gonna have to work hard so her fears don't turn into reality. And I didn't even go into every single detail about that dream, either. That topic hasn't ended yet.**

**Once again, further development of the Sojiro and Yui dynamic as well as fleshing out their back story. This was also the very first scene I wrote in the chapter, with the second being Konata's.**

**Minami and Yutaka's scene is akin to something from earlier on in this story. Less about what's going on around them and how it affects them and more about they themselves and how they understand each other, learning as they do. I kind of like this approach more than what I've been doing as of late but I really couldn't have gotten to this point if I hadn't put outside influences to them. These two are very hard to make romance-drama from because the various traits the anime gives us paints more a picture of fluff than it does of drama. I had to make a bit more changes to them over the course of this fic than I was willing to at the start. But overall, I feel like their route I finally starting to get intersting.**

**Finally, there's Kagami and Ayano's scene. They have a weird dynamic in that I haven't written a scene that's just the two of them talking since... well, since Ayano and Kagami started calling each other by their first names without honorifics.**

**Welp, that was a long end note. Any longer and this might have gone over 5k words. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I say again, m****aligayang Pasko at masayang Bagong Taon - Merry Christmas and happy New Year, every one. Until the next chapter. See ya.  
**


	46. Off and On

**So, a month long hiatus brings with it a fairly short chapter. I apologize for the wait. Here's the next chapter. Here's hoping it stays on topic.  
**

**Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I'm sorry**

**Lucky Star**

Alone, Miyuki sat quietly at a cafe table. The light from her laptop screen reflected off her glasses and the air condensed into wisps of vapor around her mug of hot chocolate . It was comfortably warm where she sat, helped by the fact that she was wearing a sweater. Outside the window, she could see a handful of pedestrians walking around in thick coats, moving quickly so as to get out of the cold as soon as possible. Miyuki took a sip of her drink as she watched them pass by.

She was staying at a cafe near the station. Her reason for being there was more for a change in scenery than anything else. She had gotten a little tired of staying in her room all day. While she was perfectly fine with just staying inside the house, she thought it would be more conducive to her work if she went somewhere else.

After lunch, and Minami's cute display of her pettiness, Miyuki receded to her room to continue her musings on the various topics that were made important to her.

Kagami and Minami's issues were all on-going struggles that she couldn't really help with. The case of homophobic death threats was still unresolved but she wasn't going to make any progress without the help of the disciplinary committee - she just didn't have the time nor the man power to further the investigation. That left her with the topic that her two mothers had dropped onto her yesterday morning.

Miyuki took another sip, before addressing her laptop once more. She began typing.

_"December 24, Entry 1_

_"My mother got me curious about the various coincidental parallels in the relationships of my friends and their parents. I decided to look into it._

_"I came up with a couple of leads to follow. Namely, the parents of Konata, Yutaka, and the Hiiragi twins._

_"I went to my mothers and asked about them. Their reply was a giggle and a vague 'Oh, we knew each other then'. That was all the answers I got out of them. That was a disappointment, but not unexpected. (On a side-note, they seemed amused that I actually went through with looking into this.)_

_"Since I wasn't getting any help from my mothers, I decided to do some digging on the internet. My findings were very interesting._

_"In addition to the fact that their daughters are friends, I learned that the parents of Konata, Yutaka, and the Hiiragi twins all studied at Ryoo High school at one point in their lives. Yearbook pictures also show___ that Sojiro Izumi and Tadao Hiiragi were in the same class in their third year and, likewise, their respective spouses were classmates in a different class. ___That's all I've come up with so far. _

_"Still though, even with such little to go off of, I'm already starting to guess at what their relationship web is like. It'd be a very happy coincidence if my guesses end up being correct.  
_

_"In any case, ___I can investigate no further. _I've researched all I can without feeling like I'm invading their privacy. I__f I am to make any more headway in this, I'll have to speak with them myself. I just hope they cooperate more than my mothers did."_

Miyuki sighed, saving her work and putting her laptop to sleep. She'd be leaving soon - just after she finishes her drink.

She had two options of where to go. The first option was to go to the Izumi household, where Yutaka and Minami were, and wait for the adults to come back so she could ask them some questions. The second was go to the Hiiragi household to do basically the same thing.

Neither option seemed appealing, honestly. She'd be going there unannounced. For all she knew, the Hiiragi house might be empty. Also, the Izumi household was having a sort of family reunion and Miyuki did _not_ feel comfortable intruding that. It all boiled down to which option she felt less uncomfortable doing.

Miyuki stared at her remaining hot chocolate as she realized that her choice had been made. She packed up her stuff, downed the last of her drink and stood.

_I guess I'm going to the Hiiragi household,_ she thought to herself. _I hope they're home._

With that, she left the cafe.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata and Tsukasa sat at the kitchen table while Miki worked on dinner, humming a simple melody.

"Satomi," Konata repeated. "Shinji Satomi - our male class rep. He's Matsuri's boyfriend... Him..." She raised her elbows onto the table and leaned forward, resting her chin on her palms. "This is unbelievable," she muttered.

Tsukasa giggled. "What's more unbelievable is the fact that he had no idea Matsuri and I were related. It came as a big surprise to him when he had dinner with us for the first time." She turned to her mother. "He also mistook Mom as one of my sisters."

"Hmm." Konata turned to the mother in question. "She does look pretty young," she commented. This gained Miki's attention. She looked at Konata for a short moment, just long enough for a smile and wink, and then returned to her cooking. Konata smiled as well. "Yeah, she'd easily pass off as a young person."

"Anyway, about them dating. How?" Konata asked, turning to Tsukasa.

"So, you know how Satomi-san works part time at that electronics store? Matsuri was looking around for a new charger for her laptop. Apparently he had just finished his shift and was saying goodbye to his co-workers when he saw Matsuri wandering the store looking really frustrated. He went up to her and asked what was wrong."

Konata tilted her head curiously. "So he helped her out?"

Tsukasa nodded. "Yeah. After that they bought smoothies then went their separate ways. A few days later they started hanging out."

Konata closed her eyes, smiling. "I think I can see where this is going," she said. "They hang out for a few weeks and then decide they want to try dating."

Tsuksa smiled as well. "Yeah. Exactly that. And now, she's head-over-heels for him. It's so cute."

"He's also a very good influence on her," Miki added. "Ever since they started dating, Matsuri started putting more focus on her studies. She's still not sure what job she wants but at least she's doing something with herself now."

Konata glanced at Miki once more, eyeing her curiously. "Huh. I didn't know Matsuri was struggling with college," Konata muttered.

"Well, it's not that she was struggling." Miki thought for a bit. "Hmm. It's more like she just wasn't taking it seriously." She sighed. "I swear, we had no idea how to help her back then. Obviously she didn't want to do what she was doing but really she had nothing else. So we just encouraged her to keep going. I have no idea what happened, but just from him being there for her, she suddenly has drive to do something with herself."

Konata nodded. "Well, that sounds about right. Satomi-san's a pretty good motivational speaker - if only he wasn't so damn serious all the time."

"I don't know. He seemed pretty laid back when he had dinner with us," Tsukasa commented. "Kagami said something about being good at managing his time."

"Yeah, I can agree with that," Konata said, nodding once more. Then she suddenly sat up straight. "Wait, does Kagami know him?"

Tsukasa scratched her cheek. "Er, sorta? She knows him from the class representative meetings. She just doesn't know it's him specifically who Matsuri is dating - just that she's dating someone with the surname Satomi."

Konata blinked in confusion. "What," she said flatly. "Okay, how-"

"Coincidence," Miki explained, finishing up an the last of her dish. "All of the times Matsuri had him over for dinner happened to be on days where Kagami was feeling particularly down. She locked herself in her room."

"Oh." Konata resisted the urge to wince. It seemed that she was given another sobering piece of information about Kagami to add to the ever growing list. "Well, that sucks," she said. She had nothing else to comment.

A few seconds pass before Miki spoke. "By the way, Konata." The blunette turned. "What college are going to next spring? What course?"

A another few seconds pass. "I..." Konata began to speak having trouble finding the words. "I'm going to the same one as Tsukasa and..." She swallowed. "I'm not sure what I'll be taking..."

"Do you have any ideas?"

Konata looked down. "Not really..."

"Hmm..." Miki turned off the stove and set down the pot on the table. "Going by your particular skill set, I'd think it'd be best if you go into HRM." This earned a confused look from both Konata and Tsukasa. Miki sighed. "Human Resource Management. It's a business course. Put simply, it involves managing people and putting them in the right place at the right time."

Konata turned her head in thought. "That sounds promising... I don't know, Miki-san. I'm still not sure it'd be the best for me."

Miki smiled, putting a comforting hand on Konata's shoulder. "Hey, it's not like you're gonna be stuck on the same path for the rest of your life. Besides, you haven't tried yet. You still have three months before graduation, after all. The time is near but it hasn't quite arrived. Just worry about it when it does."

Konata smiled wryly. "The moment I actually start caring about my future and I'm told to not worry," she muttered.

Tsukasa giggled. "Mom's right, though. As long as you're trying your best, the future shouldn't really be a problem."

"You already said that."

Tsukasa giggled once more. "Then I shouldn't have to repeat myself, now should I?"

"Well..." Konata looked down. "I guess you got me there..."

"Would you two mind if I asked you to set the table and clean the pots and pans? I've got to go down to the shrine and call Matsuri and Inori back for dinner."

Tsukasa shook her head. "It's okay, mom. If you want, we can be the ones to call Matsuri and Inori back too."

"No, I'd rather go. I've been in this house for much of the week. It'd be nice to be outside for a bit."

"Okay then. We'll get to work on that cleaning. C'mon, Konata. You're in charge of rinsing."

Konata stood and saluted stiffly. "Yes sir," she said in an impression of a soldier receiving orders from a commanding officer. The two started cleaning and Miki left.

**LUCKY STAR**

"Oh, what a coincidence." Those were Miyuki's words upon running into one Miki Hiiragi as she was on her way to the Hiiragi household. And it _was_ indeed a coincidence. She had a sneaking suspicion that no one would be home when she arrived. Seeing the mother on the street was a happy surprise since it bypassed the risk of arriving at an empty house.

"Hello, Miyuki-chan," Miki greeted, smiling. "Making an unexpected visit?"

Miyuki smiled as well. "Something like that," she said. "Call it an exchange. After all, Kagami visited _me_ unexpectedly earlier this morning."

Miki sighed. "Yes, and she didn't ask permission. She didn't even leave a note. If I wasn't confident in her intelligence, I'd never let her leave the house again. Honestly. Leaving in the dead of night and walking halfway across the city? What was she thinking?"

Miyuki sweat dropped. "Exactly what I told her," she said awkwardly. "It doesn't seem like she cares though. Or perhaps she cares so much that she has to ignore it so she can function," she mused.

Miki chuckled. "You're very perceptive," she said. Miyuki blushed slightly at the compliment. "In any case, Konata and Tsukasa are at home. I'm on my way to the shrine to pick up Inori and Matsuri."

"May I join you?" Miyuki asked.

Miki shifted her weight as she thought. "Sure. Why not." Miki continued walking while Miyuki followed.

"Where's Kagami by the way? You never mentioned where she is."

Miki sighed once more. "Ayano and Misao arrived earlier this morning. After a few hours of just lazing around the house, Misao got bored and begged them to go out. Of course they caved in. Those two can't seem to say no to her."

Miyuki thought back to how Kagami always gave in to Konata's pleading whenever she asked for Kagami's homework. The thought that it also applied to Misao seemed strangely amusing. Even more so when Ayano is added to the mix.

They walked several paces in silence before it Miki spoke up.

"Miyuki," She said seriously. "Forgive me for prying, but what do you think of Kagami?"

Miyuki thought on the question. She could take it a number of ways and none of them seemed like the right one. She immediately dismissed the idea that Miki was asking to confirm or deny if she had a romantic interest in Kagami. She had given the mother no reason to think this and quite frankly it would be insulting if she assumed that was the case. She was also unsure if Miki was asking about her relationship with Kagami, or about just about her opinion of Kagami in general. Now that she thought of it, there was no way she could know the context of that question. It'd be best if she just asked for clarification.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean?" Miyuki asked.

"What is your opinion of my daughter?" Miki said, voice conveying no deeper meaning. "As a person. As a friend. What do you think of her? You can add Tsukasa to this question as well."

Miyuki stared at Miki for a few seconds before looked down. What did she think of the Hiiragi twins? Kagami was sarcastic and somewhat stuck up and prideful but was kind, responsible, and had an unbending will. Tsukasa was slow witted and easily distracted but was extremely loyal and had an aura of positivity that could put a smile on anyone. And yet... were they?

They can't possibly be the same people now as they were when Miyuki concluded that that's what they were. Six months of struggles and big events should have surely changed them. So what was her impression of them _now_? What had changed?

Miyuki took a deep breath. "Kagami is... someone with a lot of heart," she said. "But it's like her will is slipping..."

Miki raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Miyuki continued.

"She's gone through a lot in the last few months. She had managed to make it by, hanging on somehow, but for whatever reason, she isn't pulling herself up even though everything has come to pass. She said she's trying, and yet it doesn't seem that way." Miyuki frowned, upset at the conclusion she made.

"And Tsukasa... seems stronger. More independent... Yet less happy... Her smiles seem sadder than they used to be. Like something's gone missing but she doesn't know what was lost..."

Miyuki opened her mouth to say more but found that she had nothing else to say. She let her silence mark the end of her unfinished answer. They continued walking some distance.

Miki closed her eyes. "That was insightful," she said. "Thank you, Miyuki-chan."

Miyuki stopped walking. "I... you're welcome..."

Miki stopped as well, turning to Miyuki. She gave the pinkette a small smile and nod before continuing forward. Miyuki stared as the mother kept moving. With hesitation, Miyuki started walking again.

_I feel terrible,_ Miyuki thought to herself. _How did this happen? How did I let myself do this? How can I accept that I think of my friends that way - especially Kagami...?_

_And to think I came here to ask _her_ some questions..._

**LUCKY STAR**

The wait for her mother way not long. After only twenty minutes of lounging on the couch in the living room with Konata, Tsukasa's mother finally came back, with a surprise visitor.

"Miyuki," Tsukasa said, confused.

"Hello Tsukasa-san, Konata-san." Miyuki greeted.

"Yahallo, we're here too," Matsuri said, she and Inori peeking out from behind Miyuki, smiling and waving.

"Yo, welcome back," Konata said. She then jumped to her feet. "Ooh! Miyuki, Miyuki! You'll never guess who Matsuri's dating!"

Matsuri scowled in annoyance. "Hey, I'm right here, you know?"

Miyuki smiled. "She's dating Satomi-san. Yes, I've known for a while now," she said, looking amused at how Konata's excitement slowly died down.

Konata crossed her arms and frowned. "Okay, other than Kagami, who in our circle of friends doesn't know Satomi and Matsuri are dating?" she asked seriously. "Like, we can rule out Misao and Minegishi - they're not in our class so they shouldn't know him-"

"Actually, Aya-chan knows about Satomi-san," Tsukasa said. "They take the same train and get off on the same stop. And Misao just generally knows everyone at least by face."

"Oh, are you serious? Am I seriously the only one who didn't know about this before you told me?"

"Well," Miyuki began, "to be fair, Satomi-san is a very closed off person. He won't necessarily tell people about his life if he doesn't need to. The few things I know about him are things I specifically asked about. He wouldn't just talk randomly talking about his girlfriend to people."

They all turned to Matsuri.

She blushed. "Well... What are you looking at me for!?"

"You should know him better," Konata said. "You probably had the most amount of interaction with him other than Miyuki - and even she never really hung out with him in his free time. _Would he_ just talk randomly about you to people?"

"No! Now let's get off this topic already! You guys are seriously annoying me."

Konata giggled, whispering to herself. Tsukasa barely caught it. "It must run in the family," Konata had said.

A number of questions popped up in Tsukasa's mind - like what "it" was - but she shelved them for later. She instead, stood up and began walking. Their conversation had them slowly moving towards the kitchen. It was likely they were eager to eat and were only remaining in the living room because Tsukasa was still sitting down. Or maybe it was a different reason? Tsukasa couldn't really tell with her sisters. She knew it was obviously Konata's reason for staying put. As for Miyuki, she was also inching towards the kitchen as she spoke so it was safe to assume that her reasons were the same as Matsuri and Inori.

Wait, why was she thinking about this? She wondered that question as she and the rest of the family sat down for their meal.

"To be honest, I'm not all that hungry," Miyuki said. "I at some pastries at a small cafe before I went here so I might not have as much appetite as I'd normally do. I apologize if I don't eat a lot."

Miki chuckled. "Oh I highly doubt that. You've never tasted my cooking."

"Yeah," Matsuri agreed enthusiastically. "Mom's cooking is the best."

Miyuki looked skeptically at the meal for a moment but quickly became convinced. "It certainly looks and smells appetizing," she noted. "And if Tsukasa's skills in cooking are anything to go off of then I guess I'm in for a treat."

Matsuri puffed up her chest in pride. "Between me, Mom, and Tsukasa, our family's pretty great at cooking. Think of us as a family of culinary experts!"

"What about Kagami, Inori, and Dad?" Tsukasa asked curiously.

Matsuri's shoulders slumped a little. "Uh... well..." She thought for a bit. "Their half of the family is a little less creative," she muttered, crossing her arms.

Inori poked Matsuri's cheek. "I'm a perfectly serviceable cook, thank you very much."

"Granted," Matsuri said, slapping Inori's hand off her face. "All things considered, you're generally better at all the intellectual stuff."

Inori smirked. "You say that but you've recently gotten some pretty high scores. Just because I've gotten better grades in the past doesn't mean I'm better at that stuff. It just means I put in the effort."

"That's a little unfair of you to say," Tsukasa said, pouting. "I try my hardest and even then, I have trouble with my studies."

The two older sisters winced. "Let's get off this topic then," they both suggested. "The food's right here. Let's just eat," Matsuri said.

Miki chuckled. "We were waiting for you, actually," she teased. "In any case, let's have dinner."

**LUCKY STAR**

After dinner, Matsuri and Inori went up to their respective rooms while Konata and Tsukasa did the dishes. This gave Miyuki the opportunity to talk to Miki alone.

"Miki-san, may I have a word with you?" Miyuki said, gesturing for them to enter the living room. They both sat themselves on either end of the couch.

"I suppose this has something to do with your surprise visit?" Miki asked, though it didn't sound like a question.

"Yes. I'd like to ask a few questions. The will be a bit personal so if you don't want to answer them, I won't force you to."

"Hmm. Sounds reasonable enough. What is this for? A school project?"

Miyuki thought of a passable excuse that fit nicely with what she was doing. Nothing really came up so she decided to simply be vague. "Just a little personal research," she answered. Technically that wasn't wrong - in fact that was exactly what it was. She just didn't really want to tell the mother what said research was about.

"Hmm..." Miki shrugged. "It doesn't really matter to me. Go on an ask your questions."

Miyuki nodded. "What was your relationship Konata's late mother, Kanata Izumi?"

She wasted no time and got to the point immediately. Miki seemed a little surprised by the question - obviously she wasn't expecting a personal question of that particular nature.

Miki smiled. "That's a hard question to answer. Care to be more specific?"

Miyuki turned towards the kitchen to see Konata and Tsukasa standing by the door. "You knew my mom?" Konata asked, with a light of excitement in her eyes that Miyuki had never seen from her before. She quickly ran towards Miki. "How long've you known each other? Where'd you meet? What was she like?"

Miki sweatdropped. "Hasn't you father told you?"

Konata blinked, her energy suddenly freezing. "Oh right. You two were classmates once," she muttered. She shook her head and her excitement returned. "Still, I wanna know your side of things."

Miki chuckled and turned to Miyuki. "Your job just got a whole lot easier," she said. "Okay, all of you sit down. I'm going to tell you the story of how the two of us met."

**LUCKY STAR**

**So this is actually less than half of the content for this story that I have been working on since that month-hiatus started. Originally this was going to be a little under 9k words but I got stuck on one particular scene that I actually _need_ to do. Whenever I get stuck on a scene, I usually just make other scenes. It just so happened that I was stuck on this one scene for so long that I was able to make another chapter's worth of content that ran parallel to but was completely unrelated to it. That's what this chapter is.  
**

**Miyuki's sections are always a treat for me. The way I write her is a little out of character, but I've come to really enjoy writing her in this story. She has this habit of pondering on things a lot in my writing. I didn't intend for her to end up that way - the same way I didn't intend for the festival arc to last for over 15 chapters - but it's a happy coincidence that she did.**

**Konata's and Tsukasa's sections respectively were my attempts at putting their personality and state of mind in the writing itself. It was a little easier with Konata's section than Tsukasa's but I think I did pretty well in influencing the tone somewhat based on how each of them felt at that moment. I could be wrong, in which case, I might need to work on it.**

**Inori and Matsuri feel OOC to me. That's not _really_ a problem, but I feel like they're OOC in a way that isn't interesting or new. Is it because I haven't had them in the story for so long? I don't know. In any case, I'll need to tweak my portrayal of them a little.**

**I'll end this here. Til' next chapter.**


	47. Compare and Contrast

**Here's the next chapter. Consider this a belated Valentines Day gift (full disclosure, this chapter was supposed to be out on 14th but I was delayed.) Anyway,**

**Our favorite unhealthy couple is having a date. They also seem to have a third wheel. Similarly, a related pair are _also_ having a date. They _also_ have a third wheel. Interesting...**

**Compare, contrast, and enjoy if you can.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao had brought them to an amusement park, much to Ayano and Kagami's surprise - moreso Kagami's surprise than Ayano's for that matter. Ayano heard mentions of an amusement park that was slowly gaining popularity over the course of last summer. She had asked Masaru if he wanted to go, but he of course declined. Ayano never ended up going there. Misao must have found out about it from Masaru.

"Still, that doesn't explain how she got tickets," Kagami said, tapping her foot impatiently.

"No, I guess it doesn't," Ayano said in agreement. She continued waiting behind Kagami in silence.

They were in line for one of the top attractions - an airsoft combat-simulator that Misao immediately begged that they try the moment she saw it. Kagami looked interested as well but was demotivated when she saw the line. Still, Misao was quite persuasive, and also offered to treat them to snacks in return for waiting. Thus they waited in line.

"Hey. I'm back from the restroom," Misao said, walking up next to Kagami.

"We've moved only six paces since you left," Kagami muttered. "Is it supposed to take this long?"

Misao shrugged. "Dunno'. First time I've been here." She grinned when the line moved up again by six. "Hey, looks like we're next up."

Kagami nodded, walking forward. She scowled. "Looks like we're gonna be teaming up with a bunch of boys," she said dryly. "I hope they aren't as whimpy as they look."

Ayano followed Kagami's gaze to the three boys in front of them. One had short straight black hair, the other spiky blond hair, and the last was a brunette with glasses. They didn't seem that weak to Ayano's eyes. They just looked like the average high school boys. Sure, they didn't look buff but surely they were at least fit enough for a combat-sim. Then again, when Misao eyed them, she didn't look impressed either.

"They shouldn't be a problem," Misao said. "They at least don't look like shut-ins. As long as they can follow Kagami's orders, we shouldn't have too much trouble."

Kagami raised an eyebrow. "Wait, _my_ orders? What makes you think I'm gonna lead our group? I haven't even _tried_ airsoft before. The guys in front of us probably have more experience than me."

Ayano tilted her head in confusion. "Didn't you say they look like whimps?"

Kagami stiffened. "Er... Well..." She looked away, scratching her cheeks. Her gaze slowly went over to Misao who was grinning at her. Kagami caved in. "You know what? Fine. I'll probably be leading you guys. You better hope my video game shooter skills transfer to real life else this might be end terribly."

Ayano and Misao chuckled.

"We're gonna be fine."

Their wait continued. Shouldn't be long now.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami collapsed into a bench. " That was brutal," she groaned. "Agreed," Ayano said next to her.

"It was awesome, though," Misao added, sitting down on the opposite side of Kagami. "I loved the effects. I have no idea how they made that mech but it was so cool."

Kagami thought back to the combat sim. Once it was their turn, they were outfitted with vests, gloves, shin guards, helmets, and eye protectors, all of which change color based on the amount of hits they take. After which, they'd select a main weapon and side arm. And then they were herded into a warehouse-like room with multiple floors and chest-high walls everywhere. It felt like a video game and Kagami's familiarity with it made for an easy time. At least until an eight-foot tall mechanical combat walker with heavy machine guns literally fell on top of them. They scattered, trying to get away from it and were slowly picked off by random mooks. They lost shortly after.

"Personally, I wish we knew about the mech before hand." Kagami complained. "I was ready to shoot random red-shirts, not nearly get crushed by a giant hunk of metal."

Misao smirked. "You're just mad that you were the first one taken out," she teased. Kagami glared, her cheeks growing red.

"So what if I am?" Kagami asked. "I was under the impression that this was going to be laser tag but with real guns. Not some over the top sci-fi war arena with robots."

"Technically, they aren't real guns," Ayano commented. "I got hit on the cheek and it really hurt but it didn't even bruise me."

"My point still stands."

Kagami fumed for a few more seconds until she realized Ayano and Misao were waving at someone. She turned to see Ms. Kuroi, Ms. Sakuraba, and Nurse Amahara walking towards them.

"Well what a surprise! Afternoon you three," Kuroi greeted. She raised an eyebrow upon getting a closer look at them. "You all look exhausted. Something wrong?"

"Went to one of the attractions," Misao answered, grinning. "Combat sim. It kinda tired us out."

"Well, that's strange," Sakuraba commented. "I always assumed you had boundless energy. You being tired is unusual."

Misao winced. "Well, more sore than tired," she said, gingerly rubbing her shoulder. "Those pellet things that the guns shoot really hurt. It doesn't look like I'll bruise though."

"What about you three?" Ayano asked.

"We've been here a couple hours, trying out attractions here and there," Amahara replied cheerfully. "This place just has some sort of magic to it that I can't seem to put my finger on. I love it."

"Lots of logical impossibilities in this park," Sakuraba muttered. "Buildings that seem bigger on the inside, robotic mascots that look like they're alive. Not that that's a negative, thought. Quite frankly, I'm impressed at the amount of work they put into making it all seem real. It may just all be smoke and mirrors but it still takes a lot of skill and effort for it to fool me."

"They had a mech in there!" Misao exclaimed. "We were fighting it and it was awesome!"

This seemed to pique Kuroi's interest. She looked pleadingly at her companions. "Kuroi, no," Sakuraba warned. "You just had a bunch of food. Wait an hour or two," Amahara added.

"Hey, don't encourage her," Sakuraba complained. "We've indulged her enough as it is, haven't we?"

Amahara shook her shoulder playfully. "Oh don't be such a stick in the mud, Hikaru," she said. "Have a little fun."

Sakuraba stared at Amahara for a few seconds before looking away. "I'm _already_ having fun, though," she muttered.

Without really meaning to, the three adults slowly walked away from their students. They continued to bicker and converse as they did so. The three students watched them curiously until they disappeared into the crowd.

"Something about them feels really familiar," Ayano commented. "I can't say exactly what that something is, but I can definitely feel it."

"Ditto," Kagami said, shuddering. "And for some reason, the very thought of it stresses me out."

Misao merely giggled to herself, prompting odd looks from Kagami and Ayano. "What's so funny?" they asked. "Nothing," Misao said with a dismissive hand wave.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami and company exited the theater, feeling weirdly refreshed.

They had decided that the three of them would cycle who got to choose which attractions to go to. For Ayano, a small theater had caught her eye. Luckily enough, they got in just as the next performance started. It was a short idol sing and dance routine performed by four girls dressed as fairies representing the four elements.

Kagami's reaction to it was mostly indifference. The singing and choreography was fairly good but nothing she hadn't seen before. Granted, Kagami didn't have interest in idols in the first place so no one could really blame her.

However, one thing that _was_ impressive was the special effects used during the performance. Like the air-soft guns and combat mech from the earlier attraction, there was a level of impossibility to the water and fire effects that she couldn't really explain. There was this attention to detail that made every explosion feel like an _actual deadly explosion_ despite being completely harmless. Just like her homeroom teacher said, the people behind this amusement park put a lot of effort to make all their magic seem real.

Kagami's train of thought was derailed when she felt Misao tap her shoulder.

"Yo, Kagami, you find any place that interests you yet? We've been walking for a while now" Misao asked.

"It's getting late so we can't go to some of the attractions anymore," Ayano added.

Kagami frowned. Had she really spaced out so long that the attractions had closed? She looked around.

Sure enough, some of the attractions _were_ in fact closed. Thankfully, none of the ones closed held her interest in the slightest.

_What does hold my interest, though?_ Kagami wondered. She began looking at the various stalls and atttactions once more

"Hey, let's go get some croquettes!" Misao exclaimed, once again breaking Kagami's concentration. Kagami glanced at her in annoyance.

Misao was pointing at a nearby stall. "They look really good," she said, her mouth practically watering with anticipation. Kagami looked at her face and all annoyance caved in.

"You know what? Sure. Let's go there."

"Awesome!" Misao cheered, skipping towards the stall.

"But you're gonna be the one to pay for ours," Kagami added.

Misao stopped. "Wait, what?"

"You're paying for ours," Kagami repeated, smiling.

"You did promise," Ayano reminded, also smiling.

Misao blinked. "Oh yeah. Sure, I'll pay." She continued hurrying towards the stall.

Kagami and Ayano glanced at each other and chuckled. With a shake of their heads, they followed.

**LUCKY STAR**

A pleased looking Nanako exited the _Dragon's Den Raid_ attraction, an amused Fuyuki and a tired Hikaru following a short distance behind.

The attraction was a roleplay dungeon where you get to use various realistic looking medieval fantasy weapons and took on various goblins and a dragon to get to the end. Those who got there before ten minutes would get a prize. Nanako got a decorative shield made of plastic which was proudly strapped to her back. Fuyuki got a short staff and Hikaru got a pair of gloves.

"I like this prize," Hikaru said, putting on the gloves. "I left my mittens at home so this is the perfect thing to get in this weather."

Nanako turned around and smirked. "Look who's having fun now?" she teased.

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "I never said I wasn't," she said dryly.

Fuyuki giggled. "No, but you were certainly acting that way. The entire time we were in the combat sim and the dungeon, you seemed uninterested at everything."

"Not true. Everything about those two attractions were _very_ interesting. The composition of the pellets; the realism in the costumes; the animatronics of that combat walker and that dragon - all of them were very _very_ intriguing."

"Yes. They looked so real!"

"But they _weren't_, which was why it interested me so much. I wish I could take some of their props and take them apart to study them."

Fuyuki paused in confusion. "I thought you were a biologist?"

"That doesn't mean other fields of science doesn't interest me."

Nanako chuckled at the two's exchange. It wasn't so much that they were arguing. It was more like Hikaru had found something to talk about and Fuyuki was simply egging her on with contradictory statements. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. In a way, it was similar how Konata and Kagami interacted, albeit with different personalities.

After a brief walk, they arrived at an empty bench and sat down.

"I'm going to the restroom," Fuyuki said. "Please excuse me."

Nanako watched her disappear into the crowd. No one spoke for a while after that. The only sound was the ambient noise of amusement park goers enjoying themselves. It was strangely calming, Nanako thought. She took a deep breath, smiling.

"Why'd you bring us?" Hikaru said, prompting Nanako to curiously glance at her. "Why'd you ask us to join? You've never done this before."

"What do you mean? The three of us have gone out places before, haven't we?"

Hikaru shook her head. "No. That's not what I meant. Both you and I know what you're not a very outgoing person. You wouldn't normally do something like this."

Nanako smiled. "You're right, I wouldn't. I don't really need other people to have a good time, though having others around sometimes makes it more fun. Sure, I'll go to parties if I'm invited, but you won't see me go out of my way to plan a get-together."

"Then why?" Hikaru repeated. "And why us?"

Nanako closed her eyes and crossed her arms, reclining on the bench. "Personally, I'd rather be at home playing video games right now. I'd have given the tickets to someone else... Actually, I tried to. You wanna know who I almost gave it to?"

Hikaru narrowed her eyes. "Fuyuki Amahara..."

Nanako snapped her fingers and pointed at Hikaru "Bingo," she said. "She wanted an excuse to go out with you and asked for my help. To be honest, I was hoping you'd have caught on sooner. I kinda just wanted to do my own thing once we got here but you two seemed intent on sticking with me."

Hikaru scowled. "Well, you _were_ the one who asked us to join," she said in annoyance

"_Touche,_" Nanako replied. "I get the feeling that the missus was getting tired of you not getting the hint so she gave the two of us time to clear things up."

Hikaru removed her glasses and massaged the bridge of her nose. "It's always the most esoteric shows of affection with her," she said tiredly.

"Better than nothing," Nanako teased. "At least she's giving you some sugar. My own love life's so bitter you cause someone to implode with it."

Hikaru looked confusedly at Nanako. "Isn't it supposed to be sourness that causes people to implode?"

Nanako blinked. "Is it?" She laughed. "I suppose it is."

"In any case, now that you know, don't be surprised if I just slip away while you two are distracted. While I kinda like watching you two act cute, I don't want to be a third wheel."

Hikaru nodded. "Thank you for telling me this, Kuroi."

"No problem."

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao sighed as she stepped into the carriage. "Of all the possible attractions in this park to go to, you pick the one that's the most boring?" she asked turning to face the two entering the carriage behind her.

"Well I don't know," Kagami said dryly. "You tell me."

Misao frowned. "Boo."

Kagami smirked before taking a seat, giving Misao some space next to her. ""Personally, I kinda _like_ the Ferris wheels."

"We spend a few minutes high up in a box. Big whup." Misao huffed dramitically, plopping herself down next to Kagami.

Ayano took a seat across from them, giggling. "Well, usually in Ferris Wheels, you get high enough that you can barely hear the activity from below," she said.

"Er... Not all the time," Kagami said in rebuttal. "Really it depends on the park. This place is pretty popular so we'd still hear what's going on down below. Granted, it's usually not as loud but it's kind of an overstatement if you say you can_ 'barely hear it_'."

Misao thought about what was just said and came to the conclusion that they just want to be where it's higher up and quieter. Personally, that wasn't what she came to amusement parks of. She could at least understand the meaning behind it now, though.

Still, she couldn't quite get it out of her system how utterly boring their ascent was. Just two minutes ago, the door to the carriage had closed and they started moving but, almost immediately, they stopped again so the next carriage could load the next group of people. It was like getting on an elevator as a ride. Not even that - elevators had a lot more going on at every stop.

Misao turned to Kagami. Her conversation with Ayano must have ended while Misao was spacing out so Kagami was merely looking out the window - Ayano was likewise doing the same. Misao couldn't help but stare at Kagami. She looked happy. In the confines of a small box slowly ascending into the sky, Kagami Hiiragi was smiling.

Misao smiled as well. _I guess I should just look on the bright side of things_, she thought. _At least she's happy._

Kagami turned to Misao with a confused look. She managed an awkward smirk. "You're grinning at me like an idiot. Something up?"

Misao closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's nothing."

Kagami frowned. "That's the second time today that you just hand-waved us. C'mon, Misao. What's up?"

Misao chuckled. "It's really nothing," she insisted. "I just noticed you look really happy is all."

"Oh..." Kagami blinked, blushed, and nodded before turning back to the window.

_You know,_ Misao thought to herself, _this is kinda nice._ She turned to her own side of the window. _As fun as this this experience has been, I can only really understand how fun it is during the quiet moments._ She chuckled to herself. _I guess there's _something_ to like about quiet moments. It's more than just time for studying or thinking deep thoughts or moping or everything else we've been doing for the past few months. Silence doesn't have to be tense or heavy or whatever. It can feel light and fluffy. Warm. Nice._

"Okay, I admit it. This is kinda nice," Misao finally said.

Kagami glanced at Misao and smirked. "Glad you think that way, Misao." She looked away, frowning. "Ayano, Misao, I wanna ask you two something."

The two glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. A knot of apprehension slowly began twisting inside Misao. She hesitated but soon replied. "Okay, shoot," she said.

Kagami fidgeted. "Do you two think I'm getting better? It's been two months now and barely anything has changed. I've said earlier that I've been working to get better - I have been for a while now - but I'm starting doubt I'll ever get there. I'm afraid to say it. I don't want to. But I think I might never be who I was before that day. Am I getting better guys? Will I _ever_ get better?"

Misao wanted to scream. Just moments ago, she was smiling. She was happy. What happened? How? Why?

"Kagami, I don't think this matter is as simple as you're making out to be." Misao blinked and looked at Ayano who seemed to seemed to be regarding Kagami with a small amount of resentment. "No one goes though something like what you experienced without being changed. Stop trying to become who you used to be. That Kagami is dead."

Misao grit her teeth angrily. "Ayano," she growled in warning.

"And you," Ayano said, turning to Misao. "You're just enabling her."

Kagami glared at Ayano. "Hey, leave her out of this."

"Just because I was going though my own emotional struggles doesn't mean I didn't notice yours. Do you know how pissed off you two make me? I love you two and seeing the way your relationship is going is killing me." Ayano stood and met both of their angry stares with her own look of tired frustration.

"Kagami, don't you feel guilty? Doesn't every moment you smile seem to stab at you for no good reason? You deserve to be happy Kagami. And I know you know that too. But why can't you accept that? Why the hell can't you accept it!?"

"Shut up!" Kagami screamed, standing up. "I don't know, okay!? I don't know! I don't know... I don't know..." Kagami fell back to her seat.

Misao shook with rage. "Ayano, I can't believe you," she growled icily. "How could you?"

"You're just like your brother, Misao," Ayano snapped. "She hurts you. Even if she doesn't mean to, Kagami hurts you." Misao glowered but said nothing. "And every time she hurts you, you just shrug it off. It's nothing you didn't expect. Just par for the course when dealing with her. You tell her you're fine. She doesn't quite believe you but decides not to argue. You keep it up for as long as possible."

Again, Misao said nothing. Every fiber of her being was screaming. She wanted to scream too. But she kept it in. Nothing Ayano was saying was false.

"But what happens when you can't take it anymore, Misao? What happens in three years time when you two seem like a quirky yet functional couple but deep down, neither of you are really happy? What happens once something finally gives and all that bottled up anger and resentment that's been stewing for years - what happens when it's let loose? What would you do? Would you be able to live with yourself? Would Kagami be able to live with it?"

As Misao listened, she had a sudden realization. Ayano's words. Something about them just... clicked. "You're," Misao began, her voice cracking. "You're not just talking about us, are you?"

Ayano looked at her, angry, furious, and yet so in pain. There was no denying it. Everything about what she said fit the bill. Ayano's anger was as much about her own relationship with Masaru as it was about Misao and Kagami. Misao didn't need an answer to know she was right.

"I don't want either of you to end up that way. Please..." Ayano sat back down, looking quite tired. "Please..."

Misao didn't quite know what to say. What _was_ there to say? She couldn't argue against it and agreeing didn't sit well with her either. What could she say?

Nothing...

So she said nothing. They all said nothing. The rest of their time in the carriage was spent in silence.

_I take it back. I still hate silence..._

**LUCKY STAR**

**My earlier author's note explaining the meaning behind this chapter's title was, while still correct, not quite as comprehensive as it needed to be. Of course, explaining my reasoning for this chapter's title is better put in my ending note.**

**I tried to make this chapter about parallels. I made a bunch of scenes that were similar yet distinctly different. Whether I succeeded or failed in that is up to you guys.**

**The mini arc involving the three teachers was basically filler. Granted, it's filler that fleshes out characters who I plan to make more prominent in future chapters, but it's filler just the same. It was fairly fun writing these characters having silly and serious conversations. It was good practice.**

**The Kagami-Misao-Ayano dynamic is an interesting one to write for - especially with these specific incarnations of these characters.**

**The similarities between Kagami and Ayano in this fic was a complete accident. When I started this story, the only planned similarities between the two of them was that they were both dating a Kusakabe but were in love with different people. That they both end up falling in love with their respective Kusakabe, that they both experience tragedy due to their love, and so many other parallels that I'm not even gonna mention - all of them were accidents.**

**And after everything that's happened to them, having their personalities collide has been quite fun. Drop Misao into the mix and it just gets more entertaining to write.**

**That last part where the three became emotional wrecks took me the better part of the last two months to finish. The thing is Kagami's problem is a very personal problem I myself am facing. While I have long accepted that I've changed due to my dealings with depression, it took a review from wingsofseyfert12 for it to dawn on me that Kagami has not. For the longest time, I've been writing about how she's going to get better but I never really knew how to go about it. Finally, I know where I'm going with her - at least I think I do, which is the best I can muster at this point.**

**The next chapter will be short and fairly unrelated to the other plot threads going on. Parts are already written but I still need a good enough end to it so it flows into the story. It might take me a day or it might take me a month. Either way, no promises on a release date.**


	48. Yes and No

**So, this ended up longer than I expected, all because I wanted to make it easier to integrate this chapter into the rest of the story.  
**

**So this will be a short one-shot-esque chapter about two OCs. In typical Lucky Star fashion, they will be having a conversation that begins with food. Is this chapter important enough to this story that you should read it rather than skip it?  
_Yes and no_.**

**Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.**

**LUCKY STAR**

A doorbell and a knock on the door woke Masaru up from his nap.

He looked around, dreary eyed. Trying to make sense of his surroundings. Another knock on the door woke him fully and he stood up to get the door.

Now that was odd. Who'd be visiting at _this_ hour and on _this_ day? Don't people normally spend their time on Christmas Eve with their significant other? What loser was bored enough that they'd come _here_ of all places? Kenji? Serano? No, it can't be them. They both went to the country-side to be with their respective families. Those were the only two of his friends he could think of who would come to his house on Christmas Eve. So who would want to visit him now?

Masaru quietly pondered this, suppressing his annoyance at being woken up from a particularly satisfying nap. Whoever it was behind that door, he could surely take his annoyance out on _them_.

There was another knock, right as Masaru reached for the lock. "Enough already! I heard you. Just let me unlock the door," he groaned.

The door unlocked with a click and Masaru slid it open.

"Afternoon," the girl in front of him said. She had dark orange hair and was wearing a thick coat and scarf. It was Ayano's sister.

_Akira Minegishi,_ Masaru thought to himself. _How could I have not remembered Akira?_ Of course_ she'd come to visit. She didn't have anything better to do._ Masaru blinked once before moving to close the door again.

"Hey," Akira said, blocking the door with her foot. "You wouldn't dare pull that stunt again, _would you_?" she growled icily.

Masaru quickly backed away, hands raised in surrender. "Well, good afternoon to you as well," he muttered dryly. "Come on in, I guess..."

They both seated themselves at the living room, on opposite ends of the coffee table. Upon request, Masaru went to the kitchen for a bit, returning with two glasses and a bottle of rice wine.

"So, what made you wanna go drinking with me?" Masaru asked, filling Akira's glass with wine. "When you turned twenty-one, you didn't seem to want anything to do with alcohol. What changed in the last few months?"

"I don't know. I just felt like it, I guess." With that glum reply, she took a slow sip. She winced shortly after.

"Not used to it yet, aren't you?" Masaru teased, smirking. Akira glared a him and took another sip. Masaru frowned. "Easy there," he warned.

The two drank in silence for a while. After a few minutes Masaru went to the kitchen and heated up some of last night's leftovers. He also decided to order some pizza. As he waited on the line, he eyed Akira, sitting by the table and staring at her glass.

She had bothered to wear make-up, he noticed. It wasn't a lot but just enough that she didn't look absolutely exhausted - which was what she normally looked like. But still, something was a miss. Why go through all the trouble if she'd just be coming here?

His train of thought was derailed when the phone picked up. "_Pizza Shack Delivery. Phone number please,_" a polite a cheerful voice said over the phone. Masaru began placing his order.

After ordering, Masaru returned to his place across from Akira, setting the leftover spaghetti on the table. "You're gonna have to eat if you don't want to get drunk," he said. "Then there's also alcohol poisoning but I don't think we'll get that far," he quietly added.

Akira took another sip before putting down her glass. "What do I do about Ayano?" she asked.

Masaru stared curiously at Akira. _That_ was a topic he expected they'd get to sooner or later. He just didn't expect it _this_ soon. He closed his eyes and took a drink.

"What about her?" He asked, setting down his glass. He opened his eyes and nudged the plate of spaghetti towards Akira. "And why are you asking me?" he added afterwards.

Akira picked up the fork, reluctantly poking the food. "You just seem like the right person to ask," she answered. "You seemed to have a lot of things to say yesterday. How is this any different?"

Masaru impatiently tapped the table with his fingers. "Because I've already said all there is to say," he said. "Besides, this is probably a different topic all together. And if it _is_ the same problem then I don't know what else to tell you. Either way, there is still one big question you need to answer. _What is the problem_?"

Akira grit her teeth. "I'm trying really hard here, okay? Can you be less of an asshole about this?" Masaru remained silent as Akira glared at him. He let the tension in the air slowly dissipate as Akira calmed down. "Okay. I'm good," she muttered.

Masaru lowered his head, replying as if that moment of silence never happened. "Point taken," he said, conceding. "In any case, the question still stands. What is the problem? I can't help you if I don't know."

Akira attempted to steel herself but eventually caved in. She frustratedly began eating the spaghetti, finishing it all in the span of seven short minutes. She rubbed her face with a napkin shortly after.

"Feel better?" Masaru asked, once again taking a sip.

"She won't talk to me," Akira said, ignoring Masaru's question.

More silence followed. Akira slowly lowered her head, gaze shifting to the wine glass in her hands. Masaru was just about to ask for further explanation when Akira cut him off with a stream of consciousness.

"The guilt of tormenting her for three months, knowing full well what effect it would have on her. It was building up Masaru - to the point where I just couldn't ignore it anymore. And it all came crashing down the moment Ayano didn't forgive me."

Every sentence seemed to further her decent. Her voice cracked and her hands shook as the words just kept coming.

"I felt terrible - like every single negative emotion I felt was trying to claw its way out of me. But I kept it all in. I walked out on her and didn't show a single ounce of emotion. I let it stew inside me through the night, rotting my insides until I was completely hollow. It's driving me crazy, Masaru. I am going insane."

She looked up at Masaru, teary eyed yet completely expressionless. "What do I do?"

It was all very sudden for Masaru. One moment, the two of them were having some teasing conversation about alcohol, then the next moment, _this_. How exactly was he supposed to react?

And it wasn't even that he couldn't work out how to help her in her current state. He knew he had to at least say something - maybe even give her a hug. Anything would have helped, now that he thought about it. All he need do was actually do it.

But no, that wasn't his problem. His problem was that he had no inclination to help her whatsoever.

_She deserves this,_ something inside him said._ She had this coming and she knows that. She has no right to ask for help in this._

_But she _does _have the right, though,_ Masaru thought, conflicted. _I can only imagine how terrible she feels. She may very well have had this coming, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't be helped. She should..._

A conclusion came to Masaru. It was one he disliked quite a bit, unfortunately. But of the possible things he could conclude, it was also the one he disliked the least.

_And she should be helped... But I'm not gonna be the one doing it...  
_

"I'm sorry, Akira," Masaru said. "I don't have anything to say to you on this..."

Akira stared at Masaru for a long while, tears slowly dripping down her cheek. "I... I..." She swallowed, deciding not to speak altogether. Masaru awkwardly took another sip, emptying his glass.

Already he felt like shit for doing that to her. Maybe he was in the same boat as Ayano? Maybe he too was harboring some sort of resentment for what Akira did to his former girlfriend? Maybe he had not forgiven her either? The answer was not clear to him. Even still, the fact of the matter remained. He still had no intention of helping her work things out. He was willing to help her cope - he'll drink the night away with her if need be - but whatever problems she had, _she_ would be the one to solve them.

A few more minutes passed and eventually Akira dried her eyes. She then quietly pushed her glass forward. Masaru nodded and poured her another round. He poured himself a second glass as well.

"Somehow, I kind of expected you to say that," Akira said, once again staring at her glass. "It's exactly the kind of thing you'd say. Brutally honest and said in the most dickish way possible."

"I was far from the most dickish I could possibly be," Masaru said, smirking.

"Oh perish the thought," Akira said dryly. She took a sip and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. "I hate that about you, you know? Even when you're trying to help someone, you always act as if you're trying to upset them. What makes it worse is you usually succeed on both fronts. I'm sure Ayano shares my opinion on this."

Masaru chuckled. "That she would. Those kicks to the ribs she gave me were punctuated by an angry statement saying _I didn't have to be so antagonistic_."

"And you _don't_," Akira insisted. "But noooo~ You always insist on being the bad guy." Akira rolled her eyes and took another sip. "Sometimes I wonder if you get off on people's hate."

Masaru frowned. "Hey, it's not like I _enjoy_ being the designated villain. It's just how it's always been. At this point, I don't even think I can stop."

Akira smiled regrettably. "Ditto," she said, raising her glass. "To being shitty older siblings."

Masaru smiled as well. "Cheers," he replied, touching his glass with hers, creating a distinct ringing sound.

They continued drinking for several more minutes, talking all the while. During a lull in the conversation, Masaru stopped to check his phone. It'd only be a few minutes before the pizza was supposed to arrive. It was a good fifteen minutes over the usual waiting time. Of course, Masaru could forgive them for the longer wait. It was Christmas Eve and a good amount of people must be ordering. It was understandable.

"I'll give it maybe five minutes tops before the pizza arrives," he muttered. "Maybe a little more if you wanna be generous."

"Hey, Masaru," Akira said, taking another sip, finishing off her third glass. Her eyes were glazed over as she turned to him. "I think I'm drunk."

"That's very likely," Masaru said, he himself not feeling anything at all from the alcohol. "This is your first time drinking and you drank most of the bottle. I wouldn't be surprised if you were."

"Hey, Masaru," Akira repeated. "Have sex with me."

Masaru blushed. "One, _no_," he muttered awkwardly. "Two, this was your entire purpose for asking me to drink with you, wasn't it?"

Akira laughed quietly. "Of course not. I had a _bunch_ of reasons. This is just one of them."

Masaru raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? What _are_ these reasons exactly?"

"I needed advice. I needed to vent. I was bored. I wanted out of the house. I enjoy your company. I wanted to try alcohol. I wanted to know what it's like to feel drunk. I wanted to know what it's like to have a hang over. I wanted your affection. I wanted to be intimate with you. I wanted the courage to ask for it. I wanted to be able to tell you everything I wanted to tell you for years now but never had the chance because of Ayano. And now I know it's too late and the fact that I'm telling you right now means it'll probably be awkward between us but at this point I don't really care."

It took a moment for Masaru to parse that long string of words Akira had released in an almost non-stop stream of consciousness. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of what he just heard but he very quickly came to the conclusion that Akira did not filter her thoughts when drunk, making her incredibly more honest than usual.

Strangely enough, her mannerisms and word choice were the same as it's always been. If Masaru had to guess, he'd say that Akira usually stayed true to herself even when she _wasn't_ drunk. It was impressive now that he thought about it.

"Have sex with me, Masaru. Please?" Akira's pleads looked far from convincing but she really did seem to want it. Still though...

"Both you and I know we'd regret it if we did," Masaru argued. "Come on, Akira. I only just broke up with your sister."

"It's been three months, hasn't it? Three months is the socially acceptable time frame to start dating again."

Masaru twitched, feeling slightly annoyed. "Being a little pushy there, aren't ya?" He looked away, taking one last sip of his own glass, finally emptying it. "Well, you're kinda _drunk_. I can't really accept you right now."

Akira scowled. "But that's the thing, though," she growled frustratedly. "I_ can't_ ask for it unless I'm drunk. I've been trying for a while now and this is the first time I actually succeeded."

"Then there's also the fact that I had a girlfriend for the past three years who also happened to be your sister. One would think that you asking me for sex at that time would be incredibly disrespectful."

"But _now_ the timing is perfect! We're the only two in the house, both at least somewhat willing, and have nothing to lose."

_She's not wrong,_ Masaru thought regrettably. _At least mostly not wrong._

"But we _do_ have something to lose, though. It's called our dignity. Also, you are _fucking drunk_. Ask me when you're sober - preferably a few months from now after I've gotten over Ayano."

Akira raised her eyebrows. "You _still_ have feelings for her?"

Masaru was about to snap at her, feeling a sudden urge to be angry, but when he stopped and thought about it, it _was_ a valid question. After all that's happened. After all he's gone through in the three years he's been with Ayano. Did he really still love her?

"I guess I do," Masaru muttered. "Yes, I do," he repeated louder. "Three years, Akira. Three years!" He slammed his palms on the table, startling Akira. "Three years of threats and fear and I can still say I love her! I don't want to but I do! Call it stupidity! Call Stockholm syndrome! Call it whatever the fuck you want! I still have feelings for her! And dammit, having sex with you today just won't feel right! So please! Just stop...! Just stop..."

There was a solid sixty seconds of silence afterward. Masaru slowly calmed down and relaxed while Akira stared contemplatively at her empty glass. "That got a little heated. Sorry," Masaru muttered.

"I feel really guilty," she said, breaking the silence. "Ayano would be furious at me right now."

The door bell rang. It must be the pizza. Masaru rolled his eyes. "Yes. Yes she would," he said, standing up to get the door. He slid it open, readying his money.

It wasn't just the pizza...

**LUCKY STAR**

**Well, that was perhaps the longest single conversation I have ever written in this story.**

**There were two things I wanted to happen in this fic. The first is for Akira to vent about how terrible she feels about Ayano. The second is for Akira to get drunk and try to make a move on Masaru. I had to cram a bunch of character dev in there to pad things out but ended up going a little overboard. Then again this isn't really new. Majority of this fic is a bunch of fluff in between important character moments.  
**

**So, these two OCs ended up becoming characters who already exist and I didn't even realize it. Masaru is a jerk with a heart of gold, who is deliberately plays the role of bad guy to help people while Akira is sarcastic, has sibling troubles, and is quite direct and thorough when speaking - at least when drunk. If any of you have watched or read _My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU_, you'll see what I mean. These similarities are completely accidental.  
**

**On a tangentially related note, this was actually written during the days between Christmas and New Years, during which I actually experienced both alcohol and being drunk for the first time. I had one glass of wine that I drank over the course of 20 minutes while I was eating an apple and I _still_ got drunk - I am a light weight. Also, I apparently get really introspective when I'm drunk - more than usual, in fact. The character quirk that Akira speaks in an unfiltered stream of consciousness when drunk is courtesy of yours truly as well.**

**Anyway, that was a fun chapter to write. Hope you enjoyed.  
**

**Update: Made some edits to that last bit. It should flow a little better into the next chapter.  
**


	49. Life and the Like pt01

**Hello, it's been nearly three months. Sorry about that. I got side tracked by life and the like. But it's good to be back. Here's the new chapter. Enjoy if you can.  
**

**LUCKY STAR**

"Yo, I'm home." Misao looked at her brother from top to bottom and frowned. A whiff of the air around him confirmed her suspicions. "You seriously started drinking without me. Really," she said, annoyed.

Masaru rolled his eyes. "Well, I was obligated by my code of chivalry to honor my guest's request," he said, his sarcasm thick enough he should choke on it. He stepped to the side and gestured at the pair of shoes neither he nor Misao owned, neatly placed next to the shoes they _did_ own. Misao recognized them as Akira's. "We can talk about this inside," Masaru said. "Let me pay for the pizza first."

Misao blinked, remembering that there was a pizza delivery guy next to her. He was still smiling awkwardly when she glanced at him. Feeling somewhat guilty for wasting the delivery guy's time, Misao quickly walked into the house, kicking off her shoes and heading straight for the living room.

On the coffee table was an empty bottle of rice wine and two glasses. Akira sat on one side, resting her chin on her arms crossed on the table. She tilted her head towards Misao.

"Hello, Misa-chan," Akira greeted sleepily.

Misao sweatdropped. "First time drinking?" she asked, taking a seat next to her.

"I got drunk and said some things I might regret once I'm sober," she said. "Right now I don't really care but it might make being with us a little awkward."

Misao scratched her head. "I can _see_ that you're drunk but you honestly don't sound like you are."

"Oh, I am. This might be my first time but I can tell. Waves and ripples of unconscious thought appear and disappear before I can even recognize them."

Misao blinked. "Okay, what?"

Akira chuckled. "I'm just messing with you. I was trying to sound deep but I guess I didn't succeed. It's really hard to force myself to think up things but if I let the the thoughts just flow I end up talking constantly."

Misao nodded, picking up the bottle to see if there was still some wine left - there was none. Disappointed, she set down the bottle again. "What did you say earlier that made things awkward?" she asked curiously.

"I asked Masaru to have sex with me."

Misao blinked again. "What," she repeated.

Akira scowled, tilting her head away from Misao. "It was probably a bad idea. I kinda argued with him about it but ultimately he refused. Now he's really annoyed with me. It's also kinda messed up that I asked that from him since one of the conversations we had prior was about how Ayano basically hates me now more than she ever did. Knowing what I did today would probably make her hate me even more. Really I shouldn't have asked him to drink with me at all but I saw the opportunity and took it. I just wish it didn't backfire on me the way it did. By the way, please promise me you won't tell Ayano about this. Nothing may have happened today but the mere fact that I tried would really offend her."

"Uh..." Misao awkwardly glanced away. "I'm not really comfortable about this. I won't tell her unless she asks, but seriously don't tell me to keep this from her. She's pissed off because of me enough as it is."

It was Akira's turn to blink this time. "Something happen?"

Misao winced. "Kinda. I'll talk about it once Masaru's back."

"Which I am," Masaru said, walking into the room with two pizza boxes cradled in one arm and 1.5 liter soda bottle held in other arm. "I'll get this set up. Start talking."

Misao's face soured upon being ordered to do what she was already going to do. She rolled her eyes and made no comment. No use adding fuel to the fire. She began telling her story.

**LUCKY STAR**

_It was April and Miki Araki, a relatively tall girl with sharp eyes and shoulder length indigo hair, was doing the same thing she did last year on the first day of school. She was in front of the bulletin board, gently elbowing her way through the crowd to see what class she'd be in. After much struggle, she found her name on the class rosters. She'd be in class 3-B. She elbowed her way back out the crowd, sighing in relief upon reaching open air._

_She then blinked in amused confusion. Right in front of Miki looked to be a little girl with long cobalt blue hair and a lazy expression, hopelessly staring at the literal wall of students in front of her. Miki couldn't help but giggle._

_"I don't suppose it's your hobby to laugh at people's problems, is it?" the little girl asked. "Because if it is, it's really rude and you should stop."_

_Miki smiled and shook her head. "I'm sorry. Tell you what: I'll make it up to you be checking the class lists for you."_

_The girl smiled back. "Kanata Kagerou. Look for me in the third year lists."_

_Miki nodded and jumped back into the melee of students around the bulletin board. She came back shortly after, looking at little drained. She bowed forward, resting her hands on her knees._

_"Are you okay?" Kanata asked. "I could get you some water if you'd like."_

_Miki shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She stood up straight, taking a deep breath. "Well that was unpleasant. By the way, you're my classmate Kagerou-san. 3-B."_

_"Oh? That's wonderful. Any you are?"_

_Miki blinked, realizing she hadn't said her name yet. With a chuckle, she told Kanata. "Sorry, sorry. I'm Miki Araki. Nice to meet you."_

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata nodded quietly upon Miki finishing her rather short story of how she and Kanata met. It was interesting to know how simple it was.

Her father used to tell her stories about Kanata. How she was the perfect woman to him and stuff like that. And yet all of them seemed so... unreal. It seemed like a fairy tale he made up to make her feel happy whenever she got sad that she didn't have a mom. The way Miki described Kanata made her seem... human. Meeting her wasn't all that special - it wasn't like she was a movie star or pop idol. She was just another girl. And somehow, that made Konata feel all the more happy.

"I'm just wondering but did you know my mother when she was studying at Ryoo?" Miyuki asked, snapping Konata out of her daze. She looked curiously between Miyuki and Miki.

"Oh, Yukari?" Miki thought for a bit. "We knew _of_ each other. We didn't necessarily _know _each other. Your mother entered Ryoo maybe two or three years after I graduated, I think. I became somewhat famous around the school you see, and after I left people kept talking about the torch being passed on to the next generation."

"I... I see?" Miyuki said in confusion.

Konata was confused as well. What was she talking about? What torch? Why was she famous?

"Ryoo has this... reputation," Miki explained, choosing her words carefully, "of students, male or female, becoming part of gay relationships. There's usually at least one every year."

_Or four in the case of this year,_ Konata thought.

"In any case, Kanata and I seemed to be the trend setters. Every year after we graduated, a pair of girls end up together for an unspecified amount of time during their time in the school and they become very popular among their year level."

A number of things in those two sentences were screaming in Konata's mind. Miki and Kanata once dated? They became really popular? Like Tsukasa and Konata herself this year? What?

"That's rather interesting. Neither of you two met in person?" Miyuki asked.

"No. I had a friend who was a third year when your mother started dating that other girl - Honoka I think was her name. They apparently had very cute arguments every day during break times. I wish I could have seen it."

Miyuki stiffened. "Oh. Yes. That..."

Konata saw her opportunity and couldn't help but smirk. "What is it, Miyuki? Something wrong?" she asked teasingly.

"Well, thing is," Miyuki began, "they actually broke up because of that and Honoka-san ended up dating Yutaka-chan's mother. Mother was secretly bitter about that for over twenty years."

Konata blinked, unable to make a witty retort. And really, how could she? That wasn't exactly something she was comfortable joking about. After all the drama she and her friends had to go through in the past six months - Kagami's depression, the events leading up to Hiyori and Patricia's terrible break up, the death threats - how could she joke about drama someone else had? She didn't know what happened. She wasn't there nor did she feel anywhere close to Yukari or Honoka. She had no right to joke about it.

"Wow, I forgot about that," she muttered. "I feel kinda bad for teasing you about that now."

Miyuki sighed. "Don't worry about it. It's not that big of a deal. I just don't like talking about it. They still do it sometimes and while it's quite cute it gets annoying."

"Wait, why do they still argue if they- Oooooh." Konata cut herself off when she remembered how Honoka was dating Yukari. "You know, I still can't get over your family situation."

"Oh? They still see each other?" Miki asked. "That's news to me. I thought they were both married."

Miyuki, Tsukasa, and Konata sweatdropped. All three of them were aware of Miyuki having four parents and having to explain it again to someone who didn't was a little awkward. Miyuki was the best at explaining and also the one involved so she was the one who told Miki about it.

"Well, that's certainly an interesting family situation you have, Miyuki-chan. In any case, what was this little personal research about, anyway?"

This caused Konata to ponder for a second. Konata had gotten so excited about learning more about her Mother from a perspective other than her family's that she almost completely disregarded how out of the blue Miyuki's questioning was. What _was_ Miyuki's reason for that?

As if Miyuki could sense Konata's curiosity, she turned to the bluenette and smiled awkwardly. She began talking.

"For the sake of brevity, I'll skip the conversation the lead to this but yesterday it came to my attention that many of us are connected in ways other than that we are friends. As we discussed earlier, our parents know each other and were in fact in a relationship with each other in high school. That said, I wished to see how far this goes.

"Of course, I have to draw a line at some point. People are very interconnected whether they realize it or not. If we go back far enough, we'll find that everyone is connected to everyone else. But that isn't something I think I would be able to conceivably research in a single life time. I'd limit it to just our immediate family members and possibly first cousins, aunts, and uncles.

"In simple terms, I got curious and wanted to know about our parents' relationships."

Konata found herself nodding again for a similar reason to the last. She wasn't sure what to think. For one, the idea of Miyuki going through all the trouble she was going through just to sate her curiosity was admirable and also a little cute. For another, Miyuki was very close to convincing Konata to help. She kinda wanted to know too. It wouldn't be _that_ hard to ask her dad some questions, maybe even ask her Aunt Yuki some as well. Really, it would be a great way to pass the break, especially if she got all the others involved as well.

She blinked in confusion. Miyuki was smiling and shaking her head for some reason.

"I'm afraid I'd rather I do this alone," Miyuki said. "I'm sorry. I'm just not comfortable accepting your help with this. It just feels wrong for some reason."

Konata wanted to complain but it didn't feel right. Miyuki started it and could very easily see it through to the end. She didn't really need Konata's input on the matter. She couldn't really blame her if she didn't want help. But then again, she'd be going to Konata's house anyway in which case, it doesn't really matter what she says, Konata would help her regardless.

When Miyuki was presented with this argument, she thought for a bit. "Well, I suppose that's reasonable. Alright then."

Konata smiled. "Great. See you... tomorrow?"

"How about the day after?"

"Deal."

Konata blinked, noticing how the two Hiiragis were staring at them with amusement. "Are you done?" Miki asked, smirking. "Because I have more stories I can tell if you wish to listen."

Konata immediately nodded while Miyuki took a moment to consider the offer. "It's starting to get late, though," she muttered regrettably. "I think I'll stay for one more story and then head out. It doesn't have to be a big event. Really, anything you tell me could be interesting."

Konata smiled, glad that she'd get more stories from Miki.

"Okay then. Since you're leaving, I'll go for another small thing that happened not three weeks after school started. It was just after lunch began..."

**LUCKY STAR**

Akira nodded quietly. "That's rough, buddy."

Misao sighed. "Ain't it ever." She lowered her head onto the table. "That's worse is, she's kinda right. Our relationship's basically been a big downward spiral. The closer we get, the lower it goes.

"Maybe you two need some time away from each other?" Masaru suggested, pointing his half eaten pizza at Misao. "The best kind of relationship is one where both of you can function without each other."

"Yeah, but the thing is, she _can't_ function without me," Misao muttered.

Masaru raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?" he asked dryly. "Because if that's really true then you just crippled that girl from ever being her own person."

Misao blinked. "I... uh... what?"

"If you're certain she can't function without you then you've ruined her," Masaru said plainly. "Level with me, Misao. Do you really think she'll get better."

Misao stood and yelled. "Why is everyone questioning me today!?" She glared at her brother. "You wanna know what I think!? Yes, I _do_ she'll get better! She wants to get get better so she _will_ get better! I'll even help her! I'll do everything I can!"

Akira rolled her eyes. "Simmer down, Misao. He's just trying to help. You know what it's like when he does that."

"I... just... GAAAAHH!" With that scream, Misao plopped back down onto the couch. "Dammit, Masaru. You're an asshole."

Masaru took another bite of his pizza, completely unfazed by Misao's outburst. "Well, I'm not denying that." He tilted his head to the side, looking away. "How about we turn it around?" A small smile found its way to his face. "Can _you_ function without her?"

Misao started getting angry again. "You-"

"All you've ever talked about for the past few months has been Kagami Hiiragi," Masaru snapped. "Forgive me if I find it a little concerning."

Misao bit back the insult she was about to snarl. He was right, unfortunately. What _has_ she talked about other than Kagami? Nothing she could remember at least.

"I think I'll be fine if I'm ever separated from her. It's not the end of the world if that ever happens."

Masaru smiled. "Then maybe you should take me up on that offer? Just spend some time away from each other. Some time apart shouldn't be that bad for you two."

Misao sunk into the couch in defeat. "Fine, I might just do that. The only problem is _how_. Our houses are just one train ride away."

Masaru thought for a bit. "We could go with Mom and Dad when they visit our relatives. They said they'd be back by Christmas morning and leave for their visit the very next day."

Misao frowned. "That leaves me with only two days to prepare..." Her frown deepened. "We'd be gone all break..." She blinked. "Wait, you said _we_. You're seriously going with me?"

"Uh..." Masaru scratched his cheeks. "Yeah. Why not, I guess."

Akira smiled sleepily. "You two are very sweet when you strip away all the facades and toughness you have going for you."

The two stared at her. "I don't... uh..." Misao looked away. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Akira yawned lowering her head onto the table. "You two should be more honest with each other. It's cuter that way..." She trailed off.

The Kusakabe siblings glanced between each other and Akira. "She needs to get home," Masaru said. "Not-it."

Misao rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, you've been home all day. Why don't _you_ do it?"

"Because I'm not good to commute. Do you seriously expect a drunk person to escort an even drunker person home?"

"Mother fucker, you're sober as shit! Don't try to weasel your way out of this, you still owe me."

"Fine!" Masaru said, raising his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll do it."

"Honestly, I don't wanna go home. I don't feel welcome there. Rather, I feel like I shouldn't feel welcome and that sort of influences how I feel in reality. It's a weird thing, one's perception of what should and shouldn't be. The entirety of all disagreements have something to do with it. It's so interesting..."

"Yeah yeah, that's all really interesting," Masaru said, clearly ignoring Akira. He knelt in front of her and slung her arm over his shoulder. "Up you go." He stood, wincing as Akira stayed limp and nearly pulled him back down. "Hey, use your feet, you're heavy."

"I am being held a...ahhhh... gainst my will," Akira yawned. Shortly after, she gave up resisting and stood up on her own. "I surrender..."

"Right. Let's get going... step at a time, step at a time. No need to rush."

Misao watched the two of them exit the living room. "Stay safe you two."

Once they were out of earshot, Misao grinned and pounced on the pizza, ready to take an entire box all on her own.

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami blinked as the train doors slid open. Standing right in front of her was none other than Konata Izumi. They both stood there for a second before Kagami stepped off the train, greeting her friend.

"Uh, hey."

"Yo," Konata said, waving awkwardly. She gave Kagami a once-over and frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Kagami resisted the urge to scowl. "Er, no. Nothing's _wrong_, per se. I'm just... well, it's been a long day and a lot happened. I'm just really tired is all."

"Oh." Konata nodded slowly. "Okay. You should get home then. You should rest."

Kagami nodded back. "See you, I guess." She began walking away. By the time she left the station, Konata must have already been a hundred or so meters away. Kagami sighed, her breath condensing in front of her face.

She stopped to look up at the train in the distance. "See you," she repeated, continuing forward through the lamp lit streets. The walk home was uneventful

**LUCKY STAR**

**Honestly this has been in the works since the last chapter was released, which is pitiful. Three months of constant work and yet I was only able to come up with this. I am not on top of my updates. Shameful.**

**So, there are two sections in this chapter. The Kusakabe residence and the Hiiragi residence. Not exactly new locations, though there's definitely some interesting things going on in there. Although whether you found it interesting or not has yet to be decided.**

**The first Kusakabe scenes was pretty much done when I uploaded the revised chapter 48. The second took me around two more weeks to get right. This dynamic is what I envision Ayano-Misao-Masaru interactions being like without the tension caused by Ayano and Masaru's growing dissatisfaction with their relationship. I literally had only one scene of that dynamic and it was at the start. I kinda wish I made more to be honest. It'd make this one with Akira instead of Ayano seem all the more uncanny.**

**The two Hiiragi sections were pretty fun, though I'm a little disappointed that was all I wrote. I had a bunch of stories I could have just inserted in here but I had no idea how to fit it into the story that made sense. It'd be like the Confession arc all over again. In any case, this is just the beginning of all the flashback scenes. There are going to be a lot more of them, especially since Yuki will be in the next chapter.**

**Anyway, I've made this end note long enough already. The next chapter will be up... someday, I guess. I hope you enjoyed this chapter - and if not, I apologize. See you next time.**


	50. Life and the Like pt02

**This has taken so long to update. I'm not even disappointed in my rate progress anymore, I'm just glad I was actually able to finish this chapter.  
**

**In any case, the last chapter detailed the happenings within the Kusakabe residence. Here's what happened at the Izumi residence a little later into the night. Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.**

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka sat on her bed, hugging her pillow. On one side, sitting on a chair was Minami, listening intently, and on the other side was Yuki, telling stories of her past.

Yuki Kobayakawa, Yutaka's mother, was an interesting woman. She was a little bit eccentric. When she and Minami first met earlier that afternoon, she had walked right into Minami's face a stared at her curiously. Minami felt too awkward and was forced to look away. Yuki giggled and turned her attention to Yutaka who was watching them warily.

Yutaka then introduced Minami to her mother and, after a few short conversations, the topic of Honoka Iwasaki came up. Yuki was surprised to know that she had dated the mother of her daughter's girlfriend. She then, of course began telling stories of their time together ranging from the fun and silly to serious and dramatic. Minami had a hard time believing some of the things she heard.

"Oh, believe me, you're more like your mother than you think," Yuki said, glancing down at Minami's chest. "Don't worry. You're still growing. They'll get bigger eventually."

Minami blushed and nodded quietly. How the topic of breasts came about, she wasn't really sure. There had been so many tangents she could barely keep up.

"So, enough about me. I want to hear more about you two. I can tell you two have something on your minds." Minami and Yutaka glanced at each other nervously. Yuki raised an eyebrow. "I'm not gonna force you but, if there's something wrong, don't hesitate to tell me."

Minami pondered on the question. _There's something wrong, that's for sure. But... how can I put it... the problem is hard to put into words. And the thing is, we aren't even trying... I don't fully understand what's wrong. How can I even try to explain it to someone else?_

But try she did. It was an awkward attempt but they managed to explain the basics of their dilemma. Minami wasn't at all satisfied with how they went about explaining, but it did lead to the realization that both of them knew what they had to do and yet were not doing it.

"It seems to me," Yuki began, "that you two don't _want_ this problem resolved. Otherwise you'd have already talked it through." The amused way she said that seemed to hit harder than the scolding tone the two were expecting. They looked away, making no eye contact with Yuki nor with each other.

Yuki chuckled. "Honestly. The two of your are getting upset at each other because of misunderstandings and yet you both refuse to explain yourselves. What exactly do you hope to achieve by doing that?"

Minami didn't know what to say to her. They had explained as best they could but their problem was much more complex than what Yuki described.

_But is it? This is my first relationship and Yuki Kobayakawa is a grown woman. She has the benefit of hindsight while I can barely understand what's directly in front of me. How sure can I be that she's less wrong about this than I am?_

"Yutaka." Minami blinked, pulled out of her thoughts by Yuki suddenly sounding stern. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Minami glanced at Yutaka and was shocked. She looked like a deer in headlights - cornered and panicked, frozen in place despite her mind racing like never before. Minami felt a stab of pain in her heart from seeing Yutaka's reaction. What could she have been keeping secret that she'd look as afraid as she did?

And just as quickly, Yutaka calmed down. You could see it in her eyes. The moment of panic had passed and what replaced it was a look of mild relief mixed with an unquantifiable amount of nervousness. "No," Yutaka answered. "There isn't anything I want to tell you."

Yuki stared at her for three who seconds before closing her eyes and nodding, as if understanding her meaning in those words. And just as Minami began wondering what there was to understand, Yuki spoke. "Not to me specifically," she said. "Either way, you should tell them soon."

Gears began turning in Minami's head. Who was _them_? And what did they have to do with Minami and Yutaka's problem? What was Yutaka going to tell them?

"After dinner," replied Yutaka, voice close to breaking. "I need some time to get ready."

As if waiting for dinner to be mentioned, Sojiro called from downstairs. "Come on down, girls. Dinner's ready."

"Come along, kids. We can't keep them waiting." Yuki's face remained a masked smile as she stood and gestured for them to follow. And follow they did, out the door, down the stairs, and into the kitchen.

**LUCKY STAR**

Sojiro finished setting up the table, leaving Yui looking impressed. With a sigh, he sat down at the end of the table, next to Yui.

Yui leaned forward and sniffed the steam coming from the large bowl of ramen. She looked pleased as she leaned back, nodding in approval. "You know, last time I was here, you weren't nearly this good at cooking dinner," she commented. "Did anything happen to change that?"

Sojiro smiled wryly. "My new job happened. I've spent the past four or so months cooking and cleaning for people I otherwise wouldn't ever interact with. You'd be surprised by number of lonely single women who call for me - even more surprised by the men."

Yui raised her eyebrows. "Oh-ho! That sounds interesting. _Do tell_."

Sojiro thought for a bit. "Well, there was this one man I taught how to cook. He was the youngest in his family with four sisters. Never had the chance to learn. So I taught him some basic recipes, and a couple of tricks I picked up from Konata. Then there was this really old woman who needed an escort to a motorcycle race track where she won a sizable amount of money from betting - a hundred thousand yen, I think. She ended up treating me to dinner afterward."

"Sounds like you're having fun."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying myself." He then sighed. "Still, I long for the day that I get a high school girl for a client."

Yui's smile faltered. "That'd be a little dangerous, don't you think?"

Sojiro waved at her dismissively. "Don't worry. I wouldn't do anything. Knowing the kind of clients I get, I'd probably get someone who'd have me buy groceries for them. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Mmhmm."

The muffled thumps of footsteps sounded through the ceiling - three sets, each distinct from each other. The girls upstairs must have finished their pillow-talk.

"Come to think of it, why didn't you join them for the girl-talk. You'd probably have something to say."

Yui stared at him for a second before bursting out laughing. "I'm sorry, but do you not know your own sister? Try and take a second to figure out my reasons."

Sojiro's expression soured. "Ah, right. I remember now," he muttered. _Yuki can talk for hours on end about herself and you'd never notice but at some point you hear all of her stories. She'll just repeat them to you. It doesn't matter if you've already heard them._

He turned to the kitchen entrance. "Speaking of which..."

"Good evening everyone," Yuki greeted. "I heard mention of sisters. Does anyone have something to say?"

"We were just wondering which one of your anecdotes you were telling those two earlier," Sojiro answered. "Chances are, you told them the boob-story, right?"

Yuki smiled while Yutaka and Minami seemed too deep in thought to notice his question. "Yes, I told them the boob story, among other things. They were quite interested. This one in particular." She gestured to Minami. Said mint-haired girl almost didn't notice the attention put on her. But she did and looked between the two adults confusedly.

Sojiro noticed a strange change in demeanor from what Minami and Yutaka were normally like. He shot Yuki a questioning look, to which she replied with a smile and shrug. Sojiro resisted the urge to face-palm. _She must have tried to give them relationship advice,_ he groaned internally. _I hope she wasn't too condescending... and I hope she gave advice that was actually good...  
_

He set aside his concerns and focused on serving dinner. "Well, let's eat. There's plenty of noodles to go around." He picked up a bowl and the ladle and distributed the food to everyone. Dinner continued from there, more subdued than Sojiro would've liked.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata arrived at the Izumi residence without any incident, patting away the light moisture that had condensed on her clothes as she walked home from the station. "Yo, I'm home!" she called from the front door, removing her shoes.

"Hey kiddo!" Sojiro entered the hall and held out his arms. Konata grinned and ran into his embrace. "It's good to see you, Dad!"

"Good to see you too. How was your day?"

Konata raised two large bags of merchandise. "Considering how I accomplished my goals for today and then some, I'd say it was pretty successful." As Sojiro's hold loosened, her gaze naturally drifted to the woman at the end of the hall. "Aunt Yuki?"

"Hello again," she greeted cheerfully.

"Oh man, it's been so long!" Konata quickly squirmed out of her father's arms to walk up to Yuki. "What am I, chopped liver?" Sojiro joked. He chuckled before retreating back to the kitchen.

"Have you met Minami yet?"

"Yes, I have." Yuki sighed. "Quite a blast from the past. She looks just like Honoka."

Konata nodded. "You're not the first one to say that. I have to say, though, they _are_ pretty similar looking, even now." Konata then peeked towards the door to the kitchen. "Huh, speaking of Minami, where is she. Upstairs with Yutaka?"

"Yes. I may or may not have pushed them into a confrontation."

Konata blinked. "You _what_!?" Yuki was just about to speak when Konata waved her hands frantically. "Okay, okay. Before you tell me what your motivations were, did it have to be a _confrontation_?"

Yuki couldn't help but smile at how earnest Konata's worry was, although the smile was halfhearted. She held out her arms and slowly lowered them. "Breathe," she said soothingly. Konata unamusedly looked away, taking a deep breath. "There. Now, to answer your question: No, it didn't have to be a confrontation. I only suggested that they talk about their problems which they decided to do. It only became a confrontation because neither of them seems to want to fix their problems."

"But... Sure they were in a rough spot but..."

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "_You_ don't know what it's for them. They have their own lives and you have yours. How can you say anything about their problems?"

Konata frowned. "I know, I know... I'm just worried, okay. The last time you tried this was with Yui nee-san. I remember the horror stories."

"But she still married him, yes? Things will work out."

"I hope so..."

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami returned with Yutaka to her room while Yuki remained downstairs. The climb back up was short and quiet, and yet seemed to take an eternity. Every step seemed to go by in slow motion as they made their way through the hall.

During dinner, it occurred to Minami that the '_them_' Yutaka was talking about might very well have been Minami herself. Looking back at it, it was a fairly logical assumption, considering the timing of the entire thing and how it was somehow related to the topic at hand. The only question is, what did Yutaka want to say? Why she need to wait until after dinner to say it. Better yet, how long had she been waiting on telling Minami whatever it was she wanted to say? The gears in her head continued turning like clock work but they could go for eternity without ever reaching that point where the bell rings.

Yutaka opened the door and entered, leaving the door open as unspoken permission for Minami to enter as well. Minami hesitated for a second, unsure of whether she wants to enter at all - but only for a second. She willed herself to take a step forward and slide the door closed behind her, even locking it to prevent her from leaving. Her fate was sealed.

Yutaka sat at her bed, hands on her lap. She was staring the floor in front of her, glancing up at Minami for a bit looking back down shortly after. "Minami, please tell me you figured it out," she said, sounding a little bit nervous.

Minami pondered the question for no more than a heartbeat before understanding. "Yes. What did you want to tell me?"

Yutaka breathed a sigh of relief and even smiled a little. Almost. But she quickly frowned, as if remembering something unpleasant. She sighed again, tiredly. "What do you know about me?"

Minami shuffled through her mental folders, trying to organize everything she knew about Yutaka Kobayakawa and explain it. Perhaps not unsurprising but Minami seemed to know a lot. It took a good minute before Minami deemed her answer satisfactory to voice. Her mouth felt dry as she spoke...

"You're Yutaka Kobayakawa, my classmate and girlfriend. You are 137cm tall, turned 15 year old two weeks ago, and have a blood type of A. You have a sickly constitution, a bizarre side effect of an early childhood accident that resulted in a few broken bones and a concussion." Minami began listing off more superficial traits. A minute or so past before she continued past that.

"We met a little under a year ago, during the entrance exams for Ryoo - I lent you my handkerchief with the intention of just leaving it with you but you returned it to me regardless. We became became friends, helped partly by being assigned to the same class as well as my becoming the Nurse's aid. You were very quickly able to understand and adapt to my own social awkwardness which allowed me to speak freely to you, sometimes without even speaking at all.

"A few months later, your cousin and Hiiragi-senpai started dating as a sort of experiment, indirectly encouraging you to pursue a romantic relationship with me for similar reasons. Over the course of the next six months, we experienced various sorts of drama all around us. Due to said drama, I learned that you are virtuous to a fault - getting upset at yourself for being unable to give forgiveness to my mother and Yukari-san; getting involved in conflicts with the intention of helping to resolve said conflict; general nosiness; and... and..."

Minami's mouth stayed open as if she had more to say but she had already exhausted all the aspects of Yutaka the Minami felt was relevant - and even some that weren't relevant at all but were still indeed true. Feeling no need to continue speaking, she closed her mouth and took a slow deep breath through her nose.

Yutaka seemed just about ready to cry. Minami couldn't sense what she was feeling. Her body language gave the impression that she was really nervous and yet it was visibly obvious that she was also really moved, struggling to contain the emotions she felt. What could she be thinking at that very moment?

"You... you are Minami Iwasaki." Yutaka's voice broke as she began, but she ignored it and kept powering through.

"You don't like talking and you do your best to say what you want to say without saying a word, even though most people won't understand. You get hurt when no one understands you, but don't blame them for it. You enjoy directness even though you sometimes let words and actions go in circles before getting to the point. You have a sense of responsibility to everyone who is close to you. You'll do anything you can for them if it can help, even if it means hurting others or yourself in some way.

"You are the girl who protects me and cares for me - who I try my best to understand and to cherish. I love you very much, Minami. I really do. But I don't know if you've noticed this but what exactly is our relationship supposed to be?"

Minami felt stunned, unsure as to what Yutaka was talking about.

"What are we, Minami? We're friends. We're lovers. But what does that even mean? Minami, things have changed between us, but so much has stayed the same."

It was a struggle to speak. Yutaka's questions echoed in Minami's head, drowning out any semblance of coherence in her mind. It took all of her focus just to ask, "... W-what is this about...?"

"The letters I've been getting. Those... those death threats... I still remember being so confused about them. Why was us dating such a bad thing for them? Why did it matter? It wasn't like we were any different from before. We were doing all the same things we've always been doing. What does it mean to be dating, Minami? What makes friends any different from girlfriends? How is us then different from us now?"

Minami had no answer - none that was in any way satisfying for neither Yutaka nor herself. Other than their acts of physical intimacy that went beyond hugs and hand holding, there hasn't been any change whatsoever. From the very beginning, Minami had always been the prince to Yutaka's princess, no matter how you looked at it. Nothing was different. Nothing had changed.

And yet, Minami had the distinct feeling that whatever Yutaka's problem was, that wasn't it. There was more to it than that - something deeper that Yutaka wasn't telling her. It was still debatable whether or not Yutaka even knew what that underlying problem was but Minami was all but certain that it was there, just under the surface.

Minami looked what was presented to her and took a wild guess. The conclusion she came to was... troubling.

"Are you..." she began, speaking slowly, "not happy... with the way I'm treating you...?"

Yutaka stared at her for a moment. "I... I _am_ happy, but... but..." She looked down, not saying a word after that. A long period of silence followed.

For the second time in as many minutes, Minami took a deep breath, closing her eyes. _Bingo_, she thought.

"What is it about my treatment of you that you don't like?"

Minami surprised even herself with that question. It also surprised her how well she seemed to be taking it. The guilt she expected to well up inside of her was, in fact, _not_. Nor did she feel any sort of anger or resentment towards Yutaka. And really, why should she feel any of those emotions? All of this was caused by a lack of communication. They had only themselves to blame for how far gone it had all become.

Yutaka didn't answer. She didn't even speak or give any indication of being there. With her eyes closed, Minami may as well have been completely alone. She couldn't bear to open them and see for herself...

Turning back towards the door, Minami unlocked it. "I'll give you time to think. We can continue this once you've organized your thoughts. Call me at any time and I'll come." With that, she left the room.

When the door opened, Konata was leaning leaning on the wall directly in front of it, arms crossed and eyes down. She didn't need to look up to know who it was - the footsteps alone gave it away.

"Evening Minami," Konata greeted. The usual pep in her voice was gone.

"Konata-senpai... Good evening."

"Are you wishing me a good evening or are you simply saying that this evening is good?" Konata forced a smile and looked up, green eyes meeting blue. "If it's the latter, I really have to ask, _is it really_?"

Every second that passed by after that was punctuated by the dripping of the faucet in the bathroom across the hall. Konata's smile eventually wavered and settled into a neutral expression, much like Minami's. "You _do_ know how much you've messed up by now, right?"

Despite Minami's height in comparison to Konata, she seemed to shrink at the question presented. "It had to be done," Minami said, voice dry and barely audible.

Konata's hard stare persisted for a minute before her expression softened. She looked away. "Darn it... You two were just so good together... And now, seeing you like this..." She stomped her foot. "It had to be done," Konata repeated. She returned her gaze to Minami. "It had to be done, but at what cost? Do you really think, after something like this, you'll still be _friends_? Much less dating?" She shook her head. "My heart wants to believe but my head won't let me. The flags are all wrong." She stomped again. "Everything's all wrong!"

Minami looked down. "I'm sorry, Senpai. I know I messed up. But please don't ask me to go back in there. Yes, it was my treatment of Yutaka the caused this. But I don't know what it was that upset her and neither does Yutaka herself. Only _she_ can truly say what was wrong. And until she figures it out, I have no reason to be here. Staying with her right now would just upset the both of us. What else am I supposed to do?"

What else!? What else was she supposed to do!? Konata blood slowly came to a boil at those words. She wanted to slam that head of mint green into the floor. And yet she very quickly simmered down as the logic of Minami's words reached her. What else _was_ Minami supposed to do?

Konata wanted to kick herself. Her aunt Yuki had incited this confrontation in an attempt to fix things and yet everything became so much worse. Had Konata intervened earlier, back when the problems were only just starting, perhaps it wouldn't have come to something like this? Except it wouldn't. She had no idea how it had gotten this bad, nor when and why. Not even those who were directly responsible for this outcome knew what was going on. Everything just suddenly... happened...

Taking Konata's silence as permission to leave, Minami bowed courteously and made for the stairs.

A voice came muffled from the door behind Minami. It slid open, Yutaka standing behind it. Her eyes were red and swollen, as if she were crying just moments before. "Don't go yet," she said, pleadingly. "Please, hear me out." Minami complied without question, stepping towards the opposite wall and facing Yutaka.

Konata was just about to leave and give them some privacy when Yutaka suddenly stopped her as well. "Wait. Please stay too." Konata looked on in confusion but set it aside and stayed.

"Minami, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it out like you were hurting me with how you treated me. You give and give and give some more. I'd be a big fat liar if I said that doesn't make me happy. But I just seems... _wrong_... how we're going about things..."

Konata raised an eyebrow. "Wrong how?" she found herself saying. She quickly shut her mouth, realizing she was being rude.

Yutaka smiled sadly. "How _is_ it wrong? I've been wondering that for the past few minutes now. And the closest answer I got was... was..." Her lips trembled from what looked like a suppressed sob. "Minami, do you think I'll ever grow as a person from us being together? Like Tsukasa-senpai with Konata?"

Konata glanced at Minami who looked about as surprised as Konata felt. But then, it made sense that _that_ was the cause of all this - or at least played a big part. The death threats, the lack of communication, the subdued emotions - it all started around the time Tsukasa made her confession. But then, as enlightening the reason may have been, the question and its implications still stood.

"I don't know," Minami answered, her normally stoic expression now lost and confused. "Yutaka, I don't understand. Please be frank with me."

Yutaka frowned, lowering her head. "How long are we going to stay this way? Will I ever be able to be more than what I am right now? Will I always be the kid? The innocent little girl? I know I'm weak and fragile but the both of us know that I'm stronger than I look. Will you ever let me figure out how strong that is?

"I'm scared, Minami. I'm scared of you, of Konata, of Hiyori - I'm scared of all of you. I'm scared that none of you will ever see me as anything more than the weakling, the cutie, the girl who's only there to be taken care of. What am I, Minami? Am I your lover or am I your damsel in distress?"

Konata shifted her weight awkwardly. She did _not_ want to be where she currently was while what was currently happening was still happening. What made things worse, it was also aimed a little at Konata herself so being there was even less pleasant. And yet she stayed, of only to keep her promise to stay. Things were getting dicey, though...

"But... but you..." Minami's face slowly grew hard as she parsed what she just heard. She was clearly upset by it, though perhaps not terribly so. "You never said no," she said. Her voice was stern, but not harsh. "You more than anyone should know that I wouldn't do something if you tell me not to." She didn't add anything more and waited for Yutaka to respond. The wait was brief.

"I know... It's just that... It's just that when I'm with you, I always find myself just going with the flow. It never feels right going against it, but it doesn't feel right just going along with it either. I don't know what to do, Minami. I don't know how to move forward from where we are. I don't want to stay like this but I don't want to break what we already have. I'm sorry Minami. I'm really sorry. I can't do this. I can't help myself. It's all wrong. It's all just wrong!"

"I don't quite understand..." Minami scowled at the floor, fists clenched. "You don't want anything to change and yet you don't like how things are right now? It doesn't make sense..."

Konata looked between the two warily. It didn't seem like the two were going to make any progress that day. "Umm... Sorry to butt in here but... maybe Minami _should_ leave for now?" Her suggestion was met with silence. Konata sighed and stood between the two first years. "Look, obviously you two have some issues you need to work through, but do you seriously think you can make any ground today? After all that?" Konata turned to Yutaka. "Minami said she'll come once you have your thoughts together, right?" Yutaka nodded. Konata held her hand tightly. "She isn't leaving you for good, Yutaka. Just let the issue sit for a while and you can come back to it later." Yutaka nodded once more.

"Minami?" Konata said, addressing the taller girl. "You _are_ coming back, right?"

"Of course," was the immediate answer. A few seconds of silence followed...

"May I take my leave now?" Minami asked awkwardly.

Konata nodded. "Go. Be safe on your way home..."

"Good night, then." Minami bowed and made her way across the hall to the stairs. After a minute, the two heard the front door open and close. Minami had left.

With that, Yutaka colapsed forward, into Konata's arms. "Whoa, there!" Konata struggled to keep Yutaka up right but eventually lowered her into a sitting position on the floor.

Konata looked at Yutaka's sleepy yet anxious face and sighed. "Well, can't blame you," she muttered. "After all that, you must be pretty tired right about now" She opened the door to Yutaka's room and carried said girl in, gently settling her into the bed. After draping a blaket over her, Konata tip-toed out of the room and closed the door.

**LUCKY STAR**

When Konata went back down stairs, Yui, Yuki, and Sojiro were sitting at the kitchen table, pale-faced and completely silent. Clasped in each of their hands were mugs of hot chocolate, with three more sitting in a group on the table. They avoided eye contact and merely stared at their beverages, unfocused.

"You heard?" Konata asked. There was a long silence before she got an answer.

"Yep." Yui sighed, bringing her mug to her lips. She upturned it and drank all the hot chocolate in four big gulps, lowering it slowly upon finishing.

Konata turned to her aunt Yuki expectantly. "Do _you_ have anything to say?"

"It could have gone better, I'll admit," Yuki said guiltily. She took a sip of her drink.

Konata turned to Sojiro. "Dad?"

He downed his entire mug, not making a reply.

Konata looked between all of them and sighed, taking a seat with them at the table. She reached for one of the extra mugs of hot chocolate. "Welp, merry Christmas," she muttered before throwing back her head and downing the mug.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Except it's the middle of August. What's worse is my last update is well over four months ago.**

**Finally, a chapter with Yuki Kobayakawa in it. Took me a while but it's here. So what can I say about Yuki? Well, I tried to make a character similar to Konata, but a little bit more mature. Not sure if I was successful but at least I'm not unhappy with how she turned out.**

**You ever notice that whatever problems Minami and Yutaka have at any point in their relationship, none of them were solved by their power? It always seemed to end with a cop-out like someone else solving it for them. This is my attempt to subvert that formula which I had been using for most of the story. I've had a good amount of build up to this chapter but I feel somewhat disappointed by how I went about it.**

**Sadly, short of completely scraping this entire sub plot and rewriting everything involving it from chapter 37 onward, there's nothing much I can do to make myself feel any better about this. ****Thankfully, I have a good idea about how I can move forward from this. Execution is a problem but I can deal with it once I get there.**

**Anyway, the next chapter will focus on the Hiiragi household and/or the Takara/Iwasaki estate. It shouldn't be a long chapter though I can totally see myself writing a lot for it. Let's see how long it takes me to finish this time, eh?**

**Until next chapter, then. See ya**


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